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July 5, 2025

Talbot Spy

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2 News Homepage

Callahan Takes Issue with Pack Comments

August 26, 2020 by John Griep

This video is about five minutes long.

The county council’s vice president took issue Tuesday with comments the council president made Sunday night on a podcast discussion about the Confederate statue on the courthouse grounds.

“If there’s opportunities where the president of the council is taking care of remarks and stuff on a radio station and doing comments, I’d really appreciate that you give us, some of the council, the respect when there’s a very, very important day next Tuesday that means a lot to all of us when it comes to Frederick Douglass and you sorta bashed us a little bit.

“And I really didn’t appreciate that so I’d really, really would like you to, if you have something to say to us, just call me okay and voice your flustration,” Callahan said as his voice thickened with emotion. “I know you did it in flustration, but it was very, very disrespectful to us.”

Pack said he appreciated Callahan’s comments, which were directed at Pack’s remarks about the private Sept. 1 unveiling of plaques at the Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe. The private ceremony will be followed by the opening of the park to the public.

“Of course we all know, Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, he fought against slavery, I think he fought against everything that the Talbot Boys statue stands for,” Pack said Tuesday. “I guess you’re referring to my comments about that particular event.”

Speaking Sunday night on the “A Miner Detail” podcast episode discussing the Confederate statue, Pack noted that the three council members who voted against removal likely would make an appearance for the park unveiling, which will feature Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford and Douglass descendants.

“You’re going to have those same council members who voted against taking down that statue, right, they’re going to come up there September the first and pose for every picture around the lieutenant governor regarding the Frederick Douglass unveiling of those (plaques) in honor of, in honor, and get this, the second annual Underground Railroad Month as we kick it off here in Talbot County on Sept. 1,” Pack said Sunday.

“You’re going to have those same council members come up, throw their arms around the lieutenant governor at the park on the Tuckahoe. How disingenuous is that? You vote two weeks ago not to take down this statue that’s a symbol of slavery and racism but yet you’re going to run up there for a photo op on Sept. 1,” he said on the podcast.

Responding Tuesday to Callahan’s comments, Pack said the council needed to have a discussion about what members say versus what they do.

Earlier in the meeting, he noted, Dr. Fredia Wadley, the county’s health officer, had given a report on COVID-19. The county council subsequently passed an emergency declaration that did not include several measures requested by Dr. Wadley.

“You can’t bring the health officer here in front of us to give a report but at the same time pass an emergency declaration that tears out everything that the health officer asked us to do,” he said. “I’m speaking about what we’re saying and what we’re doing.

As the meeting was held, demonstrators gathered outside the council chambers to chant, bang drums and blow air horns in peaceful protest against the council vote.

During public comments at the end of the meeting, Henry Herr, a longtime proponent for the statue’s removal, was the only caller.

“I’m obviously a little upset about the vote that happened last week and there’s obviously a lot of vocal opposition going on tonight and obviously will continue,” Herr said. “I can’t say that I’m surprised (by the vote), but the fact that there was mention stated that a vote shouldn’t be taken on something like this because of COVID while members on this council are voting not to follow the health officer’s guidelines for COVID seems a little hypocritical.”

Herr also said Councilwoman Laura Price had falsely claimed that there were no private funds for the statue’s removal when he had offered to pay for its removal on multiple occasions. Others also have publicly pledged to donate for the removal costs.

“If you want to vote on something, please at least state the facts that you don’t want the statue to come down, not that it can’t be paid for by private citizens that have already come forward multiple times ….,” he said.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: chuck callahan, confederate, Corey Pack, council, frederick douglass, monument, removal, Talbot

Md. Politics Podcast Focuses on Talbot’s Confederate Monument

August 25, 2020 by John Griep

Council President Corey Pack said he was “very heartbroken” by the county council’s recent 3-2 vote against removing a monument to rebel soldiers from the courthouse grounds.

Pack, speaking Sunday night on the “A Miner Detail” podcast hosted by Ryan Miner, said he and Councilman Pete Lesher introduced several amendments to Resolution 290 in an effort to get the third vote for removal from Councilman Frank Divilio, serving his first term on the council.

“I was hoping, I was hoping, that we would have that third vote to remove the statue,” he said.

Divilio voted Aug. 14 with Council Vice President Chuck Callahan and Councilwoman Laura Price against Resolution 290, which would have removed the monument from its prominent position outside the entrance to the Talbot County Court House, which contains the Talbot County Circuit Court, county council chambers, register of wills, among other offices.

The monument has a statue of a young flag bearer carrying the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia atop a base with the names of more than 80 men with Talbot County connections who fought against the United States of America during the Civil War.

Pack had previously joined Callahan and Price in voting against the statue’s removal when local residents and organizations pushed for that after the Charleston, S.C., church shooting in 2015 and the Charlottesville, Va., protests involving white supremacists in 2017 in which a counter-protester was killed by a man who drive into a crowd.

He has said he was wrong and has apologized for previously voting in favor of keeping the statue on the courthouse grounds.

“To a lot of Americans, to a lot of Talbot Countians, these statues, these monuments, romanticize or, if you would, promote a lifestyle or a cause that is no longer looked upon by many Americans as one that we should hold in so high esteem,” Pack said on the podcast.

He said the Talbot rebels fought for “a wrong cause” and the statue should be moved to a museum, historical society, or a cemetery, and not remain on public land in front of the courthouse.

The monument is the last Confederate monument on public land in Maryland.

Joining Pack on the podcast were Len Foxwell, chief of staff to Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot; Wini Roche, president of Roche & Associates and the former executive director of the Maryland Tourism Coalition; Mark J. McLaurin, director of political and legislative affairs for the Service Employees International Union Local 500; and Richard DeShay Elliott, Maryland progressive activist and candidate for state delegate in Prince George’s County.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: confederate, Corey Pack, len foxwell, monument, removal, ryan miner, Talbot County

Cook Backs Removal of ‘Talbot Boys’ Statue

August 21, 2020 by John Griep

This video is about two minutes long.

Easton Council President Megan Cook personally believes the statue to rebel soldiers should be removed from the courthouse grounds.

Cook said she attended two recent rallies protesting the Talbot County Council’s 3-2 vote to keep the “Talbot Boys” statue outside the courthouse.

“And I personally believe it needs to be removed as the courthouse is a place where all residents expect justice and equality,” she said.

Cook noted the town council previously had issued a welcoming statement that the town believes “a more diverse community is a stronger, more vibrant community and is committed to treating all of its residents in a fair and just manner.”

“And I hope that the actions of the county council do not cast a heavy shadow on the amazing town and community we have here in Easton,” she said.

Easton Mayor Robert Willey said there had been some confusion about the town’s role concerning the statue.

The statue is on county property on the courthouse green. The town’s involvement would only occur if the county council votes to remove or modify the statue, he said. At that point, the town’s historic district commission would consider the county’s decision.

Willey also noted that the county would be responsible for issuing assembly permits, if required, for rallies on the courthouse grounds since it is county, not town, property.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: Easton, megan cook, rebel, removal, talbot boys

Removal of ‘Talbot Boys’ Statue Topic of Tuesday Night Public Hearing

July 26, 2020 by John Griep

UPDATE: At the advice of the county health officer, the Talbot County Council has closed its meetings to the public. Members of the public will not be allowed to attend in person. Information on how to view the meeting virtually or listen by phone is at the end of this story.

A proposal to remove the statue of a rebel flagbearer from a monument on the courthouse green will be up for public comment Tuesday night.

The public hearing on Resolution 290 — set for 6:30 p.m. July 28 in the Talbot County Council chambers — largely will be virtual. The council chamber is limited to 10 audience members to ensure social distancing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concerns about the coronavirus — with cases dramatically increasing in Talbot County in the past three weeks — scuttled the original plan to hold the public hearing in the Talbot County Auditorium at Easton High School.

Resolution 290 — introduced by Council President Corey Pack and Councilman Pete Lesher — calls for the removal of the statue of a young man carrying a rebel battle flag atop the monument base listing the names of Talbot County men who went to war against the United States.

The resolution also would prohibit “new statues depicting persons, signs, or symbols associated with military action … on County-owned property” and calls for new monuments  to focus on “the names of those American servicemen and women who served in the conflict.”

It also makes it clear that the prohibition “does not apply to the statue of Frederick Douglass, who is remembered for his contributions to civil society. ”

Resolution 290

The resolution was proposed by Pack; Lesher joined him in its introduction but said he would seek to amend it to remove the entire Talbot Boys monument.

Pack, who previously has voted against the removal of the monument, changed his mind after the May 25 death of George Floyd and ensuing protests against racism in the U.S. Floyd, a Black man accused of passing a counterfeit $20, died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

In addition to Pack, two other council members, Laura Price and Chuck Callahan, previously have voted against removing the Confederate monument. Lesher and Councilman Frank Divilio are both in their first terms on the county council and have not voted on the issue.

Divilio, during the council’s June 23 meeting, suggested a unity statue that would list the names of Union and rebel soldiers from Talbot County, with a statue depicting soldiers from each side.

His proposal is modeled after the Civil War monument in Chestertown, which lists the names of soldiers from both sides, and the state of Maryland monument at Gettysburg, which shows a wounded Union soldier and a wounded rebel soldier helping each other on the battlefield.

Tuesday’s council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Bradley Meeting Room in the south wing of the Talbot County Courthouse. The 10 available seats will be available on a first-come basis and face masks must be worn at all times inside the council chambers unless addressing the council.

To view the meeting virtually:

  • Go to www.talbotcountymd.gov, click on the picture of the Talbot County Council on the bottom left hand corner of the page and you will be directed to the video streaming page (which you may access directly at www.talbotcountymd.gov/index.php?page=council-meeting-videos). Closed captioning is available on the livestream video.
  • Watch via YouTube at www.youtube.com/midshorecommunitytelevision
  • Easton Cable subscribers may view the meeting through TV-Channel 98
  • Listen to the meeting by calling 833-491-0327

To provide public comment:

  • Submit written public comments to the Talbot County Council via email to [email protected] or via mail to County Council, Courthouse, South Wing, 11 N. Washington St., Easton, MD 21601.
  • To provide public comments verbally during the County Council meeting, call 833-491-0327

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: county council, removal, Talbot, talbot boys

Op-Ed: Pack, Lesher Show Courage on ‘Talbot Boys’ by Peter Franchot

June 19, 2020 by Opinion

The past several months have brought momentous change in our country and our state, as we all have grappled with a global pandemic that sadly has claimed too many lives, made so many people sick and brought our economy to a halt.

For some weeks now, we also have been confronted with the brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and that of Rayshard Brooks by an Atlanta police officer at a Wendy’s drive-thru.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot

Those horrifying incidents, which stirred painful memories of the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile and too many others, serve as a devastating reminder that institutional racism is still a corrosive reality in our country, and that not all Americans enjoy the same equal rights and protections under the law.

A few weeks ago, Easton was the site of a peaceful protest in front of the Talbot County Courthouse. The protesters gathered to express their anger and frustration with the racial discrimination that continues to divide this amazing community, and did so in a true spirit of peace.

Since that memorable event, the Talbot Boys Monument — both the mere fact of its existence and its prominent location on the Talbot County Courthouse lawn — has once again become a focus of public outcry.

As many of you already know, I have called for the removal of this awful statue, which was dedicated at the height of our nation’s “Jim Crow” era and romanticizes white supremacy and an act of treason against the United States.

Talbot County is one of my favorite places to visit. Over the years, I have attended many meetings, events and special occasions in your thriving towns from Oxford, Easton, and St. Michaels, to your prosperous farms and waterways from Tilghman, Trappe, and Cordova.

Talbot has so many centers of commerce and economic activity, cultural and educational offerings and medical facilities. It is a magical place of beauty, recreation and open spaces. I also have met so many wonderful people — of all ages, races and creeds — which for me and others makes the Talbot Boys Monument stand in stark contrast to the community I have come to know and enjoy.

There is no place in Talbot County, in Maryland, or our larger society for statues embracing heroes of slavery, violent white supremacy and treason.

People of all colors throughout the country are speaking out.

They are tired of being subject to the remnants of a time when human beings were allowed to be bought, sold and traded as the property of others, and were subject to the worst possible forms of physical abuse, sexual assault and emotional ruin, simply because of the color of their skin.

They are tired of living with harassment, abuse, economic discrimination, violence and murder because of the color of their skin.

They are tired of the endlessness of it all.

Placed on the courthouse lawn in 1916, the Talbot Boys Monument is not an historical edifice and its supposed educational value is that it has served as a propaganda tool to romanticize white supremacy, to legitimize acts of treason and to civilize the brutality of slavery.

If you want to experience a real hero, take a few steps to the other side of the courthouse lawn and admire native son, orator, writer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who fled his years of enslavement on a Talbot plantation to freedom and to become a true statesman.

I am in full support of the bipartisan effort by Talbot County Council President Corey Pack and Talbot County Councilmember Pete Lesher in drafting a resolution to bring down the Talbot Boys statue. Both men have shown strength and courage in standing up for what is right for all citizens of Talbot County.

Their beliefs mirror the community’s resolve. I would urge the remaining council members to consider their careful and thoughtful arguments and to listen to the expressions for justice and equality by the protesters.

This is a time of moral clarity for our country. It is a time to do away with symbols that treat men and women differently simply because of the color of their skin. It is time to blot out images that conjure hurt and fear.

I believe Talbot County is up for the challenge of doing what is right.

I have faith that the voices of this community will be heard.

Peter Franchot is comptroller of the state of Maryland. He plans to run for governor in 2022.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Op-Ed Tagged With: jim crow, Op-Ed, Opinion, peter franchot, removal, Talbot, talbot boys

Franchot Joins Calls for ‘Talbot Boys’ Removal

June 9, 2020 by John Griep

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot wants the “Talbot Boys” statue honoring Confederate soldiers removed from the Talbot courthouse grounds.

A peaceful Saturday protest in downtown Easton for racial justice and against police brutality against people of color included calls for the statue’s removal. Following the protest, demonstrators left their signs at the base of the monument.

Franchot spoke Tuesday morning with The Spy to discuss his position on the statue’s removal.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot

“The Talbot Boys Monument needs to be removed because it was not put up as a memorial to Marylanders who fought for the Confederacy, it was put up in 1916 at the height of the Jim Crow laws and it’s very clearly a message to African-American folks — on taxpayer property, which is the courthouse — that if you want equal justice you shouldn’t come because we’re glamorizing these Confederate soldiers.

“It used to be kind of benignly accepted as oh, well, isn’t it educational, isn’t it historical in nature?” he said. “No, it isn’t. It’s a testimony to a period of time which was horrible for African-Americans which was the Jim Crow days when their participation, their voting was suppressed and where they didn’t have equal justice under the law like other Americans.

“This statue unfortunately is a neon message to them: Don’t come to this courthouse, this publicly funded, taxpayer-funded courthouse, for equal justice because you’re not going to get it.”

Citing the protests against police brutality and for racial justice following the death of George Floyd, Franchot said it was an appropriate time to again ask for the statue’s removal.

“These issues are always kind of radioactive, controversial, but if Virginia, with its history … can be in the process of removing the Confederate general statues along Monument Avenue down in Richmond, certainly Easton or Talbot County can reconsider removing this statue again from in front of the courthouse.

“Hopefully, there will be a different response than last time.”

The Talbot County Council last rejected calls for the removal of the Confederate statue in 2016 and 2017. Current council members Corey Pack, Chuck Callahan, and Laura Price were among the five council members who unanimously voted then against removing the statue.

“I am completely impressed with the demonstrations around the country. Most of them are absolutely peace-loving, Constitutional protests about police brutality,” he said. “Anyone who has seen that video, that 8-minute video of George Floyd being suffocated to death by the policeman with spectators all around saying ‘stop it, you’re killing him’ and he just went ahead and killed the individual right there on camera.

“Obviously, the demonstrations have been widespread, but what’s impressed me is that in rural, all-white areas of the country, traditionally Trump country, for example as far as the voting patterns, there are demonstrations asking for a stop to police brutality.

“I think it’s a reawakening of the country to the injustices that a lot of our citizens face. I hope that the county council … will act quickly and get it removed from public property.”

Asked what he could do as comptroller to ensure the statue’s removal, Franchot said speaking out on the issue was the key.

“I really think with most Americans, and most Marylanders, and most residents of the Eastern Shore, to just remind people ‘can we please do the right thing?’ Given the situation, could we please do the right thing and remove this?

“We know that it doesn’t have anything to do with history or with education or with memorializing brave, young Marylanders who may have erroneously fought for the South in the Confederate War. No, this is part of a domination … of African-Americans for decades and decades following the Civil War. And the message couldn’t be clearer: Don’t come to our courthouse thinking you’re going to be treated equally. You’re not going to be. That’s the message.

“So let’s remove that to the extent we can taking advantage of the change in the nationwide temperament and work together. If we just kind of nudge people in the right direction, you’ll see change because most people are wonderful, compassionate, and generous and empathetic folks.

“Finally, we now as a country are facing some of the racial injustices we know have always existed. And here’s a chance in a small way to remove a blemish, something that I would call a disgrace on one of my favorite parts of the state, Talbot County…. I love the Shore, but that statue’s gotta go.”

“When I went to school, I was taught that the Civil War was not about slavery, it was about states’ rights. No, it wasn’t about states’ rights, it was all about slavery…. (E)verybody now knows that and we simply have to face up to the injustice we had in our country and realize that after the Civil War Reconstruction was set up to continue to punish and dominate African-Americans, particularly in the South, not allowing them to vote.

“Then we have this history of vigilantism and lynchings. A few years after the Talbot Boys statue was put up in front of the courthouse, I think it was 1921, 300 African-Americans were massacred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a race riot and not a single person was ever arrested or prosecuted for that kind of behavior and it happened all over the country.”

In a Monday Facebook post, Franchot wrote:

“Let’s be clear: The Talbot Boys Monument has no value — historical, educational or otherwise. It was, and is, nothing more than propaganda designed to romanticize white supremacy and legitimize an act of treason against the United States.

“At a time when people of color are more vulnerable to harassment, abuse, economic discrimination, violence and murder simply because of the color of their skin, there is just no place in our society — and certainly not within our taxpayer-funded centers of justice — for a monument that glorifies and celebrates the very worst elements of our past.”

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: confederate statue, peter franchot, protests, removal, talbot boys, Talbot County

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