I have become weary of the unending hyperbole. Every ad. Every Instagram posting—it is the finest, the most exquisite, unique—one of a kind (hello, it means the same thing). Sometimes I read seven adjectives before I get to the noun it modifies—venerable, historic, breathtaking, refined, decadent, esteemed, noteworthy, rarified, bold yet understated. What? I long for the unadulterated concise sentence. Where is it?

The irony, of course, with all this extreme adulation about ice cream, dinner, jewelry, wine, automobiles, or cellphones is that the noun in question often disappoints. Truth be told, it would be hard for most anything to live up to such embellishments. 

Many products we consume in today’s marketplace are of lesser quality than they were in bygone days. But you would never know it to hear the accolades on radio, TV, websites, and Instagram. 

Harvard Business Review published an article sometime back about the eight dimensions of quality:  performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. For example, Japanese vehicles focus more on reliability and conformance and less on options and aesthetics. The premise of the article is that because it is difficult for a product to be ranked superior in every attribute, it is smart to focus on one or two attributes, while keeping the others in mind. 

The issue of quality is interesting. Some mansions, automobiles, spirits, and purses sell for ridiculously expensive prices. When you read Friday’s Mansion section of the Wall Street Journal, you see stunning estates for $300 million, $240 million, $125 million. (Bill Gates’ house called Xanadu 2.0 is 66,000 square feet, is worth $127 million, and has an annual property tax bill of approximately $1,154 million. It has been reported that Melinda Gates never really liked the mansion that once caused her to have a “mini sort of personal crisis.”) A McLaren Speedtail, an exotic sports car, sold for $3 million at auction. A bottle of Macallan M Scotch sold in a Hong Kong-based auction for $628,205. Melania Trump’s Hermes Birkin purse was valued somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000. Louis Vuitton sells a skateboard for $8,250.

A while back I authored an article about the importance of quality versus quantity. I believe that to be true. But there is a dramatic difference between working hard and striving to own wonderful things that you care for and treasure for a lifetime and ostentatious consumption. This difference becomes even more disturbing when you consider the tremendous income inequality in this country. At the end of 2021, the top one percent in the U.S. owned. 32.3 percent of the nation’s wealth, one of the reasons you see such outrageous spending on items with astounding price tags. 

My point is not only that it is mind boggling that someone would pay $100,000 for a purse. But that most ultra-expensive purchases are not worth their exorbitant price tags. Surely, a Birkin bag is well made. But is it worth 85 percent more than another handbag that is handcrafted from the finest Italian leather and costs $1.000? There comes a point of diminishing returns. A survey from the American Affluence Research Center found that the affluent believe most luxury brands are “overrated.”  

Several surveys have been conducted where avid scotch drinkers taste test scotches ranging from modest prices to bottles worth several hundred dollars. Tasters could differentiate from the lower-cost scotches but had trouble discerning the expensive versus the ultra-expensive ones. Distinctions were small. The same goes for expensive wines. We all love a great crisp chilled white wine but how much more enjoyable is that $800 bottle? 

All this excess makes one long for the short honest descriptions for which Hemingway was famous. 

Here is a quote from Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast: “Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, … I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, do not worry. You have always written before, and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. So finally, I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there.”

Let us celebrate the one true sentence—a rarity in this world of overwhelming hyped-up social media. 

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.

 

You may have seen segments on late-night TV where hosts go out on public streets and ask passersby questions like, “What’s the capital of Italy?” Or “In what continent is Australia?” Later, when given the correct answer, the responder says, “Wait, you mean Australia is a continent?” The audience roars with laughter. Is this funny or embarrassing? Our ignorance is mind boggling. How can we have the so-called best education system in the world and yet have so many uninformed people?

And things are getting worse. Now we see people proud of their ignorance openly castigating experts in their fields. The number of anti-vaxers during the height of the pandemic was astounding. After millions of Americans were vaccinated, they still doubted the experts, refused to protect themselves, and put others in danger. 

Early election returns have Sarah Palin ahead for the Alaska congressional seat vacated by Representative Don Young (R) who died earlier this year. This is the case even though she was unable to name a single newspaper that she read when she was ran for vice president on the GOP ticket with John McCain. Her lack of foreign affairs knowledge during the debates was beyond frightening. Enter Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who speaks of “Peachtree dishes” and “Gazpacho police.”

This is a particularly frightening phenomenon given that public officials, who are supposed to consult experts and determine appropriate laws, are incapable or resistant to making informed thoughtful decisions. 

And then there are those policy makers who have Ivy League educations but refute facts and create alternative realities to explain away truths when the facts present themselves. Ted Cruz (R-TX, Princeton, and Harvard Law) said guns were not the problem in the recent school shootings in Uvalde. Instead, he suggested that shooters can be stopped by locking all but one door and posting guards at schools. Immediately after the January 6 insurrection, fist-pumping Josh Hawley (R-MO, Stanford, and Yale Law) voted not to certify Biden’s election, even after no election fraud was detected. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL, Yale, and Harvard Law) stirred up a big brouhaha about critical race theory, all the while knowing that it was not a big issue in Florida schools’ curriculums. So why did these three take such positions knowing that the facts did not substantiate their points of view? To play to their base—saying what they knew their base wanted to hear, taking calculated positions to ensure their reelections. 

Many young people today do not read newspapers or watch any news programs. They get their information from the Internet, social media, Facebook, TikTok and various chat rooms. Many of them do not read substantive books. When they pick up a book, it is some fantasy escape or manga cartoon. 

This social media obsession has created an environment where Americans skim the surface of critical issues, develop uninformed opinions and then mock experts who explain in detail the various permutations of different subjects. (Just remember the hatred the masses had for Dr. Fauci.) We have now reached a point where we are proud of our ignorance and refer to those who have done the “deep dive” on particular subject as “elitists.” 

This is a dangerous situation. America seeks to be entertained rather than informed. The inane premises of some recent TV shows are depressing. A new TV show premiering on ABC is called The Final Straw where apparently four teams of contestants pull items from towers of kitchen appliances and basketballs. The winning team is the one whose tower stands the longest. Seriously? Also, speaking of inane TV, on The Masked Singer, Palin was disguised as a bear and Giuliani was a Jack-in-the-Box.

We live in a world of increasing complexity. We must trust scientists, engineers, doctors, who are experts in their various fields. Do these experts sometimes get it wrong? Absolutely. But, at the end of the day, do they know more than average citizens about the issues at hand? Yes. It is the height of ignorance to celebrate ignorance and mock intellectualism. When you do not believe in climate change, even when presented with indisputable facts (Death Valley, CA reached a record high of 130 degrees.) When you continue to believe the election was stolen, even when recount after recount proves otherwise. When you believe lies scripted by QAnon about secret Satanic child-sex trafficking rings or Marjorie Taylor Greene’s false claims that more votes were cast than there were voters in Pennsylvania. Or that straight people face extinction. Or Paul Gosar’s (R-AZ) claim that the Texas shooter was a “transsexual illegal alien,” let us admit that we have issues.

Yes, some may laugh at the insanity of these comments. But we are heading to a seriously bad place, and the rest of the world is watching.

To quote Dostoevsky in The Brothers Karamazov, “Above all, do not lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect, he ceases to love.” 

How close are we to that exact situation today? Please, America take heed. 

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.

 

A resolution to reclassify two properties to immediate priority sewer status was considered at our county council’s June 14 meeting. Having originally been classified at a lower priority in 2006, and with concern for a possible delay of up to 2 more years, council president Chuck Callahan made this request of county attorney Patrick Thomas, “Explain to us what’s happening here. Dig into the weeds with me.”

This process can be complicated. Two properties on the Matthewstown Rd. subdivision, a development of 200 homes previously classified as S2 would move to S1, immediate priority. This requires an amendment to our comprehensive water and sewer plan. There are “lots of hoops to go through,” but Resolution 331 will now go to the planning commission, and assuming approval, return to the council for a vote.

Our county’s population, currently 37,502, is up around 3,700 since 2000; and the Maryland Department of Planning has forecast population growth of 2,000 for Talbot County by 2030. With the addition of 200 homes at the Gannon Farms development, we can expect a modest increase in our population of around 440.

And our next decade? Gannon Farms will be contributing 200 homes. Poplar Hill on Oxford Rd. will add 439; and Lakeside anticipates building 2,501 homes. A total of 3,140 homes translates to population growth of around 6,900.

5,500 from Lakeside alone would be a level of population growth never before experienced in Talbot County – and all the more reason for environmental concerns in a county with over 600 miles of shoreline.

On May 27 a group of Talbot County residents joined the nonprofit Talbot Integrity Project to file suit against the Maryland Department of the Environment. This complaint contends that construction for the connection of 120 Lakeside homes to Trappe’s outdated wastewater treatment plant should not continue without our Talbot County Planning Commission’s approval.

The planning commission’s approval is required for approval of resolutions by our county council. Our public works advisory board voted unanimously against Lakeside, but Resolution 281 was initially approved by the planning commission and passed by the council.

A public hearing was also required, and a lawsuit would be filed before a hearing was be granted five months later. The data submitted on October 12, 2021 included transcripts from past county meetings, an independent wastewater treatment plant inspection report, findings of environmental organizations, and reminders of Maryland code.

Witnesses were granted more than three minutes to speak; but responses from the council included questions concerning veracity, an assertion that the county had no authority over the town of Trappe, and a suggestion that any wastewater treatment system “passing muster” would be sufficient.

Maryland Environmental Code requires counties to be in charge of planning for development. State agencies and others might assist; but this responsibility is assigned to counties, with jurisdiction over towns and villages. And our comprehensive plan requires “the state’s most recent standard” of wastewater treatment for new development.

Following the public hearings our planning commission rescinded its approval of Resolution 281.

In a March 14 interview council president Chuck Callahan suggested, “If we’d have been a bit more proactive, we could have resolved all of this 3-4 years ago…The environmental community should have been more proactive. They’ve been doing their own thing, so there’s a little bit of blame on the other side for not doing their homework.”

The county wasn’t aware of issues regarding the performance of Trappe’s aging wastewater treatment plant when Resolution 281 was approved, but the shortcomings of this aging plant have since become clear. Environmentalists have also offered testimony and public comments at council meetings and hearings, but were not invited to participate in the council’s work session.

ShoreRivers is testing water samples regularly. Swimming remains restricted in 8 locations around our Chesapeake Bay – and those locations include the Choptank River and Trappe Landing, a stone’s throw from the Lakeside development.

In order for Lakeside’s first 120 homes to be connected to Trappe’s underperforming plant in compliance, council member Laura Price had introduced a resolution requiring our current state standard, Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR), at Trappe’s plant, possibly with the assistance of modular wastewater treatment until either the development’s spray wastewater plant could be completed or Trappe’s plant upgraded. This was not approved,

We heard a suggestion that modular units on trucks would dump wastewater into manholes. Curiously, we had also heard at the public hearing that Trappe’s wastewater treatment is negatively impacted in that manner by rainwater.

MDE has requested guidance from our county, but turned down an opportunity to find a solution outside of court. Our courts will surely move us in the right direction again.

Talbot County Council Vice President Pete Lesher recently reminded us that our comprehensive plan is being revised, and “this is a time to be paying attention.” A vision of where we’re going is fundamental to a positive outcome.

The June 14 meeting was productive.The county’s ethics code will move to a “third reader” for consideration of updates to comply with state standards. Resolution 328 will allow amendments introduced by the county to be submitted on any legislative day. Habitat Choptank will receive a grant for a renovation on Locust Lane, and BAAM will receive assistance in the construction of a new academic center. The description of country clubs for zoning purposes and amendments concerning piers and related structures will also be considered, as will a resolution to raise county council salaries from $14,400 to $25,000.

That will be voted upon at a public hearing in July, and the meeting adjourned in a timely manner at 7:41 pm.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

Our county budget for 2023 is good, and we were reassured of the Talbot County Planning Commission’s oversight at their meeting Wednesday. Our Talbot County Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan requires providing our state’s most recent standard of wastewater treatment to new homes in a development, and we’re moving in that direction.

More time was devoted that morning to discussion of Resolution 329. It requires a temporary moratorium on processing applications for large scale solar development; and the next few months will include consideration of setback requirements, reclassification of property and titling issues, reimbursements per acre, and requirements related to escrow, funding and bonds.

We wouldn’t want topsoil removed and sold in this process. That happened in Delaware, essentially eliminating the option of returning to agriculture. Attorney Ryan Showalter provided a helpful summary of bond and escrow issues; and Scott Kane, co-owner of Creative Energies Solar, had submitted a report described by a commissioner as “the best task force report ever.”

Most importantly, everyone seemed focused upon working together for the best outcome for Talbot County, and it was suggested that a mid-June work session would include not only Attorney Showalter and Scott Kane, but public works, solar experts, environmental organizations, Easton Utilities, and representatives of counties with experience in solar.

It was also emphasized that the health and welfare of our citizens and the requirements of our comprehensive plan are priorities, and the need to educate the public as the process proceeds was also recognized.

It’s been a steep learning curve for many of us over the past year, but at this point we might feel confident that our planning commission understands that the county has authority over planning for all development, and these plans must first be approved by the planning commission.

The Maryland Association of Counties (MACO) recently briefed our Talbot County Council on current legislation and advised of assistance available to counties. The Maryland Department of Planning has resources to assist in planning; and, in coordination with MACO, has provided guidelines for managing growth that includes assistance for updating comprehensive plans, planning septic tiers, amending a comprehensive plan, holding public hearings and work sessions for new plans, approving changes to plans in a timely fashion, and planning for change in 10-year increments.

Lakeside has been in the works for decades. In 2009 Talbot County Council President Phil Foster asked the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) why the state had granted Lakeside a construction permit on May 30, 2006, for a sewerage plant to serve over 2,000 homes and scores of commercial units without county approval.The 2003 agreement between the town of Trappe and the developer requires compliance with the town’s comprehensive plan for a development of 2,501 residences.

It was reported that concerns had been expressed to the MDE regarding possible efforts to bypass the county’s approval in 2005. The developer’s attorney suggested that the MDE has ultimate authority, and the developer also had the right to proceed because the county was delinquent in updating its water and sewer plan.

MDE explained that Lakeside’s request was the first separate municipal plan submitted directly to the department, and the department was overwhelmed at that time by a housing boom and hundreds of applications. Questions over the legality and propriety of what happened remain unresolved.

Resolution 281 permitting the project to move forward was adopted by the Talbot County Council on August 11, 2020. A request for the rescission of Resolution 281 was made on May 7, 2021, and a public hearing took place on October 12, 2021.

Provided with additional information and within a relatively short period of time, on November 3, 2021, the planning commission determined that hooking up to 120 homes to an underperforming wastewater treatment plant for an undetermined period of time until a spray irrigation treatment system is completed is inconsistent with our comprehensive plan; and the planning commission’s approval of Resolution 281 was rescinded

The legality and propriety of ongoing construction at Lakeside is therefore being questioned; and on May 27, 2022, county residents joined the Talbot Integrity Project to file a complaint against MDE, an action taken to enforce the Talbot County Planning Commission’s decision to disapprove of Resolution 281 and to revoke or suspend the construction permit allowing sewerage from Lakeside to be directed to the existing Trappe plant.

Attorneys representing the Integrity Project met with MDE in an attempt to rectify Lakeside’s problems without going to court. That opportunity was turned down, but lessons may have been learned already. With a town in trouble, there’s lots of emotion; but with a project of this size, there may be far less opportunity to escape scrutiny.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

I’m trying to understand why guns are so ingrained in American culture, why gun possession is one of our defining characteristics. Is it residual from our frontier-taming history? Does it reflect our passion for individual liberty? Is gun-collecting a hobby or investment? Or is it darker drives bordering on paranoia or the need for macho expression? Carry a big stick. Don’t tread on me!

Why do citizens need military-style assault rifles? It can’t be for target shooting because rapid-fire guns with high-capacity magazines are not at all necessary to test one’s accuracy. Nor can it be for hunting because those types of guns only indicate that the hunter is not very skilled.

I was once a gun collector. I owned several pistols, a couple of shotguns, three assault rifles, and a World War 2-era German machine gun (deactivated so it could not fire). As an engineer, army veteran, and student of military history, there was a sort of beauty, an artistry of mechanical design function that I admired. I rationalized that I had acceptable reasons for owning weapons of war. I am still a gun owner today. I own one pistol. Do I need it? Not really. Do I want it? Yes, for the same reason I gave above.

Now, most of us agree that we have a gun violence problem in America. Gun murders in the streets of our large cities have become so common that they are hardly newsworthy. Business as usual. When our kids are mass-murdered our hackles raised a little more – but only for a short while. Our outrage quickly subsides, only to reappear the next time. It’s a reoccurring nightmare that we seem powerless to end.

I will illustrate our situation by analogy.

There is a large boat which has sprung a leak in its hull and is sinking. The people on the boat are divided on what to do. One group says “We have to bail out the water”. Another group says “Good idea, but while we’re bailing out the water, we should be working to plug the leak.” Another group says “We should call the Coast Guard.” A fourth group says “Why not do all of these?” Which is the most sensible group?

Gun people adamantly insist that the gun is off limits; the problem is with the shooter. He should be our sole focus. They demand that there be no legislation on gun control, none, zero, nada, no way. Let there be more guns. Arm teachers. Hire retired soldiers and police for school security. Gun-makers, their stock-holders, and Fox news-junkies couldn’t be more pleased.

But isn’t the problem complex enough that it requires a (forgive the simile) shotgun approach? If we really agree that we have a serious problem, why not attack it with everything we’ve got?

Restrictions or banning the purchase of weapons optimally-designed for killing the most people in the shortest time, and background checks on all gun purchasers should be part of the fix equation. That seems clear to me. The other part, the mentality of the shooter, is another. But how do we predict when someone who has been acting normally, up to a point, is suddenly going to freak out? Are danger signs always telegraphed? And even when they are, history shows that we have not done a good job of reading them and reacting. Besides, how can we arrest or order someone to accept psychiatric help before they commit a crime? I am not skilled enough to suggest answers to the shooter part, but somebody wiser should be.

Should we excoriate lawmakers for not helping with this problem, for putting job security over conscience? Remember one thing: Their jobs depend on our votes. If gun violence was considered a priority problem in this country, the representatives we elect would be forced to accede to our demands to fix it. Apparently, it is not a priority problem for lawmakers. Maybe the problem is us!

Bob Moores retired from Black & Decker/DeWalt in 1999 after 36 years. He was the Director of Cordless Product Development at the time. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our county’s FY2023 budget of $112,607,000 closely mirrors the FY2022 budget. “Essentially flat” compared to FY 2022’s $112,816,000, Talbot’s FY2023 budget was passed unanimously at the county council’s May 17 meeting. We are spending a bit more, but our FY2022 budget surplus provides a cushion.

A surplus is also expected for FY2023. Planning for the possibility of unforeseen expenses is always a good idea, and we cannot help but appreciate that Talbot County is managing to provide this positive outcome with the lowest property tax rate and second lowest income tax rate in Maryland. We have a one cent increase in our property tax rate, as authorized by voters in 2020, and a one cent educational supplement for our public schools. FY2023 operating expenses are also up 7.7%; but that is below the inflation rate. We are in great shape.

The sheriff’s office and health department will be building new headquarters We’re also investing in first responders including our paramedics and volunteer fire departments, fulfilling educational commitments and requests, undertaking roadway and sewer projects, and providing information technology throughout Talbot County. Cost of living and wage increases will also address our county’s recruitment and retention issues.

As Council Vice President Pete Lesher pointed out once FY2023 passed, a county’s budget is a “policy document and a reflection of our priorities;” and “this budget reflects our commitment to funding public safety.”

Councilmember Laura Price, now serving her last year on the council, recalled a county budget of approximately $65 million 12 years ago. She also reminded us that low tax rates will likely continue to result in lower levels of education funding from the state, but raising taxes can cause people to leave. And funding could then go down even more.

Talbot County has seen a modest level of population growth over the past 12 years. We experienced a bit of a surge from 2009 to 2010 and welcomed around 1,000 new residents. Traffic might have become a bit heavier then, but our population has remained relatively stable since.

But we could be faced with additional revenue requirements for FY2024. Tax rate increases generally accompany significant levels of population growth. Talbot’s population was 37,782 in 2010, and our population is currently estimated to be 37,502. It’s slightly smaller now, but from 2009 to 2010 we experienced a population growth rate of 3.7%, high for Talbot County. Our population increased from 36,034 to 37,361 and has changed little since.

That may be changing now. Developments totaling over 3,000 residences are currently planned for Talbot County. With an average occupancy rate of 2.2 persons per residence, and if all goes as planned, we will be welcoming approximately 6,600 new residents in a relatively short period of time. An 18% level of growth is unprecedented for Talbot County, at least in times that most of us can recall. Our FY2023 budget is making welcomed investments; but we might prepare for more challenging circumstances in coming years.

Our public schools currently comprise 43% of our county’s expenses. They are performing well, but we would be demanding more of them and of other county operations. A surplus is planned for FY2023; but revenues could become a concern for FY2024. This is a play in motion for a whole new level of development for Talbot County. With revenues and taxes in mind, we’ll be looking forward to hearing about fee-per-residence infrastructure agreements with developers.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

When my father awoke me from a nap to tell me George Wallace had been shot and seriously wounded, I was in disbelief. After all, I had just seen the charismatic and controversial Alabama governor speak at a campaign rally hours earlier. I was a junior in high school when I heard that Wallace was going to appear at a shopping center in Wheaton. It was one day before Maryland’s presidential primary, and Wallace was crisscrossing the state in search of last-minute votes.

He was locked in a tight race with several other Democratic contenders, including Former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, South Dakota Senator George McGovern, Maine Senator Edmund Muskie and New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. I had recently met Chisholm when she spoke at my high school.

Although not yet old enough to vote, I was still intrigued by the presidential campaign and a rare chance to see one of its most divisive contenders.

Some of my classmates thought this would be a raucous event based on some recent campaign appearances by Wallace in Maryland. We decided it was well worth skipping afternoon classes, and we were not disappointed.

As we arrived, country music was blaring as a huge crowd gathered in front of a small stage in the parking lot of Wheaton Plaza. Most of those who showed up appeared to be Wallace supporters, but there was also a boisterous group of young, anti-Wallace protesters.

I still remember one of the protesters waving a fake campaign sign with huge photos of Wallace and Congresswoman Chisholm. They were dressed up to resemble the farming couple in the famous painting “American Gothic.”

Some protesters chanted obscenities while throwing rocks and tomatoes toward the bulletproof lectern, as nervous Secret Service agents tried to deflect debris from hitting the governor. In response, Wallace told the hecklers he had expected better vocabulary from college students. Gone was Wallace’s racist rhetoric of the early 1960s; while delivering a gubernatorial inaugural speech in 1963, he declared “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!”

By 1972, the Alabama governor had rebranded his message by railing against what he called the federal government’s intrusion into the lives of ordinary Americans. However, he still opposed busing to desegregate public schools. His populist message seemed to resonate with supporters. On this day, I remember Wallace complaining about Washington’s crime problem and how it was even dangerous to walk the streets of D.C. during the day.

But protesters were so loud and disruptive that Wallace cut short his speech, and as I learned later, Secret Service agents warned him not to enter the crowd to shake hands with supporters. Wallace was quickly escorted to his car and driven to his next campaign appearance in Laurel.

Even before campaigning in Maryland, Wallace expressed concern about his safety. While in Michigan that spring, he told a reporter from the Detroit News he was not worried about heckling from college students. He told the reporter, “Hell, I don’t mind the kids. They’re just young and full of spit and vinegar. The ones that scare me are the ones you don’t notice. I can just see a little guy out there that nobody’s paying attention to. He reaches into his pocket and out comes the little gun, like that Sirhan guy that got (Robert) Kennedy.”

Just a few weeks later, his worst fears would come true. At the Laurel Shopping Center, there were far more Wallace supporters and fewer hecklers. So after delivering a lengthy speech, the governor ventured into the crowd shaking hands.

Moments later, Arthur Bremer suddenly pushed by well-wishers and fired five shots, all which struck Wallace. 21-year old Arthur Bremer, who had traveled to Maryland from Milwaukee, was immediately tackled by police and arrested. Wallace was transported to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, where he underwent surgery. But hours later came the news that the man who dreamed of becoming president was paralyzed and would never walk again.

One day later, Wallace easily won Maryland’s primary, capturing nearly 39% of the vote. Pundits credited his strong showing to a sympathy vote from those previously undecided. The Alabama governor would also win primaries in Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee. But South Dakota Sen. George McGovern would eventually capture the Democratic nomination.

An African-American classmate told me she was relieved to learn the man who shot Wallace was not Black. She feared had the suspect been African-American, it would have exacerbated racial tensions. Just four years earlier, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray, triggering several days of unrest in Baltimore, Washington and other U.S. cities.

Despite being paralyzed, Wallace went on to win two more terms as governor. He died in 1998. Arthur Bremer, now 71, served 35 years behind bars at the Maryland Correctional Institution in Hagerstown before being released in 2007.

Days after the 1972 shooting, I learned that Bremer had actually been spotted near the stage at the previous rally in Wheaton. Many speculated that if protesters had not been so disruptive, and Wallace had been allowed to shake hands in the crowd, he would likely have been shot then.

In hindsight, I was thankful my classmates and I had not witnessed the assassination attempt of a presidential candidate and the chaos that certainly would have erupted.

John Rydell has covered state politics for more than 30 years with WBFF-TV and Maryland Public Television. 

“We’re going to have fun today,” a county council member noted upon entering the Bradley meeting room for their May 3 meeting. The room was filled with smiling faces, and congratulatory and celebratory moments would prevail. The meeting got off to a good start by naming Dan Schekenburger as the new director of the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board and then honoring the Talbot County Department of Corrections for its exemplary service.

Bill 1498, a proposal for Talbot County’s Fiscal Year 2023 annual budget, was Introduced by County Manager Clay Stamp and described in detail by Finance Director Ken Davis. The FY2023 budget includes investments in infrastructure, expansion of paramedic services, recruitment and training for volunteer firefighters, enhanced support for the sheriff’s office, funding of educational requests, and cost of living increases to address recruitment and retention issues.

The $112.6 million FY2023 budget increase of 7.5% was attributed in large part to sewer extension throughout the Bay Hundred and sanitary improvements countywide. Sanitary tax rates would go up 40-50%, but those costs would be offset by the county’s $14.3 million FY2022 budget surplus. And an even larger budget surplus has been forecast for FY2023.

Clifford Coppersmith, President for Administration of Chesapeake College, reaffirmed that enrollment was up at the college and thanked the council for their support during challenging Covid times.

Sheriff Gamble expressed his appreciation of the council’s support and the FY2023 budget proposal for additional staff and new quarters. “We couldn’t do anything we do without the support of the council,” he emphasized in closing. His expressions of gratitude were returned in kind.

Superintendent Kelly Griffith expressed her gratitude in no uncertain terms. “I am really here to say to all of you, thank you…You have listened, and you have asked excellent questions of our budget…and I really appreciate your collaborative spirit.” And Easton High had experienced its highest graduation rate ever.

Dana Newman, Director of Talbot County Library, and Susan Sherman, President of the Talbot County Library Board of Trustees, thanked the council for its support of the renovation of the St. Michaels library and making it possible for the library to continue to serve the community.

Bill Shrieves, President of the Board of Directors of Upper Shore Aging, and Childene Brooks, Manager of Brookletts Place Senior Center thanked the council for its commitment to the seniors of our community and continued support for their programs. As throughout the meeting, expressions of gratitude were reciprocated.

This meeting was an opportunity for our community’s leaders and our county council to share well-deserved expressions of gratitude for the many services they provide, Tax increases elicited a brief pause; but just 2 of Maryland’s 24 county jurisdictions currently have lower property tax rates. A positive and congratulatory mood prevailed.

This positive mood carried into the council’s brief and upbeat May 10 meeting. We learned that Council member Corey Pack would be in Colorado this summer to accept an award honoring Talbot County’s resilient strategy in addressing the Covid pandemic, and President Chuck Callahan would be “stunned with all the positive energy” that evening.

Resolution 328 was up for a vote. This would address the council’s ability to introduce resolutions to our Comprehensive Plan on any legislative day, rather than on a quarterly schedule, and it passed unanimously. We might wonder if had it been introduced earlier, if it might have allayed some of the confusion as attempts were made to alter the course of Lakeside’s wastewater treatment plans.

Talbot County is in great shape; but in one of Maryland’s wealthiest counties in the wealthiest nation on earth, couldn’t there be a way to honor our Comprehensive Plan’s requirements for wastewater treatment for Lakeside?

We will surely have a positive outcome eventually, possibly even in a timely manner; but there is currently no legal requirement, or anything “in writing” as council member Laura Price requested, to require the state’s most recent wastewater treatment standards for Lakeside’s first 120 homes. Considering also the unprecedented size of this development, public awareness and concern for the health of the Bay, couldn’t we simply do this?

It has been over a year now since a petition requesting reconsideration of the Lakeside project was introduced. A lawsuit was scheduled before a hearing would finally be granted. Several resolutions have since been offered and defeated. Despite the facts presented and decisions of our Planning Commission, three members of our county council have refused to require compliance with our Comprehensive Plan.

The Public Integrity Project, a nonpartisan citizens’ organization, is moving on. A litigation team is currently preparing the lawsuit demanded by these circumstances. We will certainly hear more from the developer’s attorney. He participated frequently in county meetings; but should this proceed to trial, we also hear from those who have had relatively few opportunities to present their concerns.

The county’s FY2023 budget will be voted upon at the council’s May 17 meeting. The council is likely looking forward to another pleasant evening. Our county’s office of law may be less jubilant.

Carol Voyles is a graphic designer/illustrator who retired to the Eastern Shore and became interested in politics. She serves as communications chair for the Talbot County Democratic Forum and lives in Easton.

We won’t know until the Supreme Court announces in June or July its final verdict on the fate of Roe v. Wade. But this much we know now: The Supreme Court has irreparably defiled its standing as a tripartite branch of our constitutionally constructed democracy, Now, the trifecta is complete. The legislative and executive branches have already been so compromised that many Americans no longer trust either to do the right thing. Now the so-called high court has demonstrated that it cannot be counted on to render justice to the law or the constitution – whatever its final decision on Roe v. Wade.

It’s easy to blame Donald Trump, considering that all three associate justices he nominated are among the five expected to annihilate women’s reproductive autonomy. But without Republican co-conspirators, Trump would have failed to deliver on the campaign promise that, with assists from FBI and Russian meddling, won him an Electoral College victory in 2016. As for Roe v. Wade, the man who called breastfeeding women “disgusting,” once held a pro-choice fundraiser before adopting strident anti-abortion rhetoric in going for the Republican presidential nomination. The origins of the bitter fight over women’s right to choose go as far back as the 1973 decision itself, a ruling for Jane Roe (aka Norma McCorvey) by a court, like the current one, tilted 6-3 in favor of Republican-nominated justices. Harry Blackmun, who wrote the majority opinion, was appointed by President Richard Nixon. Chief Justice Warren Burger, also a Nixon appointee, joined in the majority opinion. Byron White, nominated by President John F. Kennedy, dissented in the 7-2 decision.

So much for the subsequent anti-abortion lie of the last 49 years that Roe v. Wade was a result of an activist left-leaning Supreme Court packed by Democratic socialist presidents. A bipartisan court made it the law of the land and the precedent was substantially upheld in the bipartisan 1992 Casey decision. And today, polls show that a vast majority of Americans support a woman’s right to choose.

Yet the current Supreme Court, also tilting 6-3 toward Republican-nominated justices, appears poised to chuck it all in favor of the majority’s personal beliefs – political and/or religious – over legal justification. (Six of the nine justices are Catholic, though two of those seem to be aligned with upholding at least some right to choose.)

The wild card here was played early in 2016 by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell following the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 13. More than 11 months remained in the term-limited presidency of Barack Obama and just short of 10 months before the election of his successor. McConnell, overstepping his authority by any constitutional measure, argued that no president can nominate a Supreme Court justice in an election year. My personal opinion was that Obama should have aggressively confronted McConnell by directly appointing his nominee, Merrick Garland, to the court on the grounds that the Senate abdicated its advise-and-consent constitutional responsibility by denying Garland even a hearing. But doing so would have risked complicating the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, widely expected to win the election until FBI director James Comey’s last-minute reopening of the email case he’d already decided in Clinton’s favor.

Combine that with McConnell’s naked about-face after the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, rushing through the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett BARELY A WEEK before the election that would evict Trump from the White House, regardless of his fact-free denial of defeat. Talk about a lame-duck appointee. McConnell’s duplicitous disregard for presidential authority in the nomination of Supreme Court justices has politicized every subsequent decision of this gerrymandered court to the point of a right-wing fix.

I have no faith, nor should any American, in the integrity of a Senate with McConnell as majority leader. Just as he said of Obama, he has said his top priority now is to oppose anything President Joe Biden proposes. Other than that, Republicans have no legislative agenda whatsoever – not even overturning Obamacare. Similarly, I have no faith in Kevin McCarthy, who will likely become Speaker of the House should Republicans, as anticipated, gain a majority in the November midterms. He’s the guy who, perhaps fearing for his life during the Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol, said “he’s had it” with Trump, and then, when it became apparent that the ex-president remains the kingmaker among what’s left of the soulless Republican Party, took a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to kiss Trump’s – what? – ring.

Constitutional democracy in America as I have known it in all my Boomer life is in grave peril. But overzealous Republicans – I’m looking at you, Justice Samuel Alito – may have handed Democrats just the cudgel they need to assist in your party’s self-destruction. Democrats don’t even need high-priced campaign specialists to tell them how to win. Just turn to women who vote. Maybe women who haven’t voted before. Or men who love and like to make love to women. Tell them all that the vicious, anti-female draft written by Alito also includes, in its total rebuke of Roe v. Wade, an admission that legislative law in states or in Congress would undo the radical remedy he has written in his screed against such an intensely personal decision as abortion. Roe v. Wade opponents in nearly a half-century have yet to apply their moral outrage to a compassionate solution. If you want to discourage abortion, then do what you ask these prospective mothers who feel they cannot support one child or an additional child. If you really value saving a fetal life, establish a nationwide adoption option. But you won’t do that. All you do is bully women and girls about whose circumstances you have no clue. And now you would criminalize them.

So, I say to you, shut up and mind your own business. I say that because, on top of it all, Republicans stand resolutely against supporting mothers. Once their babies are born, they’re all on their own. Child care? If you can’t afford it, that’s on you. Rich American taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to help.

If Samuel Alito, he of the Citizens United decision recognizing corporations as people equal to us flesh-and-blood voters, was responsible for the leak of his kill-abortion draft, it may well backfire. And even if it was leaked by liberals, McConnell may have overplayed his pack-the-court contortions. Democrats should run on electing Democrats on every level of government. The best example of how to proceed is Maryland, where choice will remain protected. That can be so for any state that elects a Democratic legislative majority and a Democratic governor. As for the “culture wars” waged by the right, it is clear now that Republicans will stop at nothing to gain power. On book banning, even math texts are suspect. To certain GOP governors (not Maryland’s), the First Amendment doesn’t cover the word “gay.” And if the opioid crisis is the fault of illegal immigrants, I suppose Republicans must be counting the gazillionaire Sackler family as illegals.

If you still believe that Trump will be reinstalled as president, short of a 2024 comeback, you’re fooling yourself. His election was not stolen. He lost. Decisively. And by never conceding defeat, Donald Trump is now the sorest loser of all time. Worse it may be shown in the upcoming public hearings regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection that he is guilty of sedition. That the ex-president is a traitor.

If there was any attempt to steal an election, it was on behalf and at the behest of Donald Trump. Republicans ask you not to believe your eyes and ears when you see the assault on our Capitol and our sacred peaceful transfer of power, which is all that separates us from Putin-style tyranny. Had Trump been re-elected, would he have ordered missile strikes against Mexico, taking a page from Vlad the Terrible’s Ukraine invasion under the cry of “Remember the Alamo”?

Voting Democratic across the board in this time of autocratic fiat on the part of an illegitimate Supreme Court is our surest way to reverse the Republican tide that has risen despite the popular will of the people. If President Biden has not delivered all that he promised, think of what he might achieve with just two more Democrats in the Senate. The House has passed a bill that would codify the right of women to make the right choice for themselves and for a fetus they may or may not be able to support as a baby. All that stands in the way of the Senate sending such a bill to Biden’s desk to sign into law is the filibuster. We know Joe Manchin’s position on that. But his vote alone would no longer be enough. Women will stand up for themselves, I feel sure. May the men in their lives stand with them.

Steve Parks is a retired New York journalist now living in Easton.

 

 

Bellevue, Maryland is one of the nation’s few remaining historically African American maritime communities in Talbot County, Maryland. The history of Bellevue is at risk for accelerated erasure. Within the past 20 years, Bellevue lost landmark public buildings and the retirement of its independent Zip Code. A barely visible roadside marker is the only indication that Bellevue was once a historically African American community.

But the biggest threat to date is the recent acquisition of a tract of land along the Tred Avon River by Paquin Design Build (Grasonville, MD) with the intent to build 14, $1.5 million dollar homes along the shoreline.

The Builder chose to name this development, situated in the heart of Bellevue “North of Oxford”. Bellevue constituents were unaware of these actions until advertisements appeared in media outlets.

A community meeting was held at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on April 26 where constituents presented their concerns to Mr. Paquin. Leading concerns were the development’s name, disregard for and erasure of Bellevue’s black culture and history, environmental concerns, and the economic impact on elderly residents. Most egregiously, and an affront to Bellevue, the developer chose to name the proposed community “North of Oxford with”, the intent to establish an independent homeowners association, turn a private community road into a driveway for three of the new homes, and to place physical barriers to set it apart from Bellevue.

Mr. Paquin did not concede much, if anything, but indicated that he might consider changing the name, planting saplings to replace the 100+-year-old trees he intends to cut down, paving a private road for access by his construction equipment, and renaming the streets in favor of former Bellevue residents.

However, the property is still marketed as North of Oxford on Zillow, and the street address for a few of the homes is listed as Orchard Terrace, though the residents who currently live on Orchard Terrace have not consented to turn a street that allows all residents of Bellevue to easily access the waterfront into a private driveway.

Multiple Organizations & Community Members are Fighting for Bellevue

All of this is happening amidst major projects to preserve Bellevue’s rich history.

The Bellevue Passage Museum + Water’s Edge Museum

The creation of the Bellevue Passage Museum from a rescued historical property in Bellevue is underway. Work for the museum is in progress, funded by the African American Heritage Preservation Program, cash, and in-kind donations. In collaboration with Barbara Paca, Ph.D., and Philip Logan, founders of the Water’s Edge Museum in Oxford, MD, the two museums will create an immersive educational experience in African American History on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for students of all ages.

Washington College

The Black Life in Bellevue Field School July 5-29, 2022 is a partnership with Bellevue Village and Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society. Led by Michael J. Chiarappa, Ph.D., and Janet Sheridan, the Field School is supported by the Vernacular Architecture Forum and the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture through funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The field school attracted domestic and international undergraduate and graduate students.

Residents & Neighbors of Bellevue Maryland

Bellevue residents share a strong sense of community and regard it as a peaceful, beautiful, historic village. A grassroots movement has started to take action to preserve the character and culture of Bellevue. The goal is for accountability from the developer(s) to the goals and vision of the Bellevue Master Plan, and that “improvements preserve the village’s character that will attract a new generation of devoted residents”.
Currently, many residents of Bellevue and surrounding neighborhoods have banded together to fight this erasure of history and this new threat to the Eastern Shore’s delicate watershed environment. A task force with subcommittees has been formed to take action.

The Disappearing Roots of Bellevue’s Legacy

Bellevue, Maryland is one of the nation’s few remaining historically African American maritime communities. This village of approximately one square mile or four city blocks is rich in history.

Once a self-sufficient African American Community with a school (a Rosenwald School), place of worship (St. Luke’s United Methodist Church), general store, post office, four restaurants, Knights of Pythias Lodge, recreation center, gas station, and doctor’s office. The major employers were the Valiant Packing House and Cannery, and the renowned African American-owned Turner Seafood Company.

With the exception of the William H. Valliant Packing House and Cannery, and the General Store, all businesses were owned by African Americans. This small community was home to a baseball league, Boy Scout troop, and produced an above-average percentage of black college graduates that went on to serve the community and our country in the military, as primary and secondary educators, health care workers, clergy, and business owners.

Dr. Dennis M. De Shields is founder of Bellevue Passage Museum and fourth-generation Bellevue resident