Spy Daybook - Centreville Spy

Spy Daybook: How museums offer a cure for loneliness in modern America by Daedelus Hoffman

November 5, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

I believe the Academy Art Museum is more than a place where people look at art—it’s a place where people find each other. Art is a powerful connector, bridging gaps between strangers and building bonds that feel something like family. That’s what drives me: creating spaces where people aren’t just spectators but instead play an active role in building something bigger together. That thing is called community.

The importance of this work feels especially urgent today. Loneliness has become a silent epidemic, affecting Americans of all ages and backgrounds. According to a 2021 report by Harvard’s Making Caring Common project, over one-third of U.S. adults report feeling serious loneliness. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued a stark warning: chronic loneliness is a public health crisis with risks to physical and mental health equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness isn’t just an emotional experience—it’s a health risk that shortens lives and leaves people vulnerable to conditions ranging from heart disease to depression.

One reason for this epidemic is the decline of “third places”—those public, community-centered spaces outside of work and home where people can naturally gather, relax, and connect. Sociologist Robert Putnam explores this concept in The Upswing, where he argues that third places like coffee shops, libraries, and yes, museums, are crucial for building social cohesion. Without these gathering places, people lose opportunities to connect in a meaningful way with others in their community. In their absence, isolation grows.

Museums are particularly well-suited to fill this gap. Daniel Weiss, in his book Why the Museum Matters, describes museums as “cathedrals of the imagination,” where visitors are encouraged to pause, reflect, and find meaning. Unlike many other public spaces, museums offer an environment that’s both welcoming and contemplative, where people can take their time, engage with ideas, and share their experience with others. Museums make space for thoughtful encounters that often lead to meaningful connections.

At the Academy Art Museum, we see this potential for community building firsthand. Our public programs, like a film screening or a lecture, bring people together in shared experiences. These events are more than just cultural outings; they’re opportunities to bond over mutual interests and form lasting friendships. When visitors come for a film screening or a lecture, they’re joining a gathering of people who share an appreciation for creativity, curiosity, and dialogue. It’s a chance to become part of something larger.

Beyond these public events, our adult classes and workshops offer another layer of connection. In a world where adult friendships can be hard to sustain, these programs offer a rare opportunity to meet people who share similar interests in art and creativity. Whether it’s a painting workshop or a photography course, these classes invite participants to engage deeply with a craft while connecting with others. It’s a different kind of learning environment, one that values collaboration and exchange as much as individual growth.

And as people learn together, something transformative happens—they build a community. In a museum setting, that community becomes woven into the larger fabric of the institution itself, bringing new life to the art on the walls and new stories to the people who walk through our doors.

So yes, art has the power to inspire, challenge, and provoke. But just as importantly, it has the power to connect. In a society increasingly marked by isolation, museums are one of the last places where people can meet face-to-face, share a moment of insight, and leave feeling a little less alone. At the Academy Art Museum, that sense of connection is central to everything we do, because we know that the arts are most impactful when they bring people together.

For those on the Eastern Shore, the Academy Art Museum is here for you—not just as a gallery of beautiful things, but as a space to belong, to connect, and to be part of something bigger. Whether you’re here for an exhibit, a program, or a class, we invite you to come as you are, and maybe, just maybe, leave with something unexpected: a new friend, a sense of purpose, and the feeling that you’re part of a community.

Daedelus Hoffman is the director of education at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland.

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Virtuoso Cellist Sterling Elliott to Perform at the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival By James Carder

June 10, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

Cellist Sterling Elliott

“Perfect intonation, style, and total involvement.”

“His discernible love for the music won over the audience.”

Praised for his musicality, sensitivity, dexterity, and performing ease by audiences and critics alike, the 25-year-old American cellist Sterling Elliott will be featured in three concerts at the 2024 Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival held at the Academy Art Museum. in Easton, Maryland. A child prodigy, Elliott began playing the cello at the age of three. He made his orchestral concerto debut at the age of seven and has since received numerous prestigious awards and performed with the world’s leading symphony orchestras. A graduate of The Juilliard School in New York City, he currently is pursuing an Artist Diploma at Juilliard under the direction of renowned cellists Joel Krosnick and Clara Kim.

Chesapeake Music audience members will remember Sterling Elliott’s exciting recital with pianist Elliot Wuu in 2022. The two musicians will be reunited at this year’s Festival performing Claude Debussy’s famous Rêverie in an arrangement for cello and piano (Saturday, June 15). Sterling Elliott will also perform Brahms’ beautiful and majestic first piano trio (with Sahun Sam Hong and Max Tan on Thursday, June 13). He will take the demanding, virtuosic first cello part in Luigi Boccherini’s String Quintet in A Major (with Catherine Cho, Max Tan, DanielPhillips, and Marcy Rosen on Friday, June 14). The last opportunity to enjoy Elliott’s stellar stage presence and joyous musicianship will be at the Festival Finale on Saturday, June 15, where, in addition to Debussy’s Rêverie, he will perform Arthur Foote’s A Night Piece and Scherzo for Flute and String Quartet (with Tara Helen O’Connor,Daniel Phillips, Max Tan, and Catherine Cho).

Asked what he envisioned his future as a classical musician to be, Elliott replied: “My goal as an artist has always been to simply share my passion with audiences across the globe. However, as my career develops and I can expand further on the idea of my role as an artist in society, I would like my ultimate goal in music to be focused on furthering music’s reach in all communities.” To that end, he takes seriously his standing in the classical music world as a Black role model. “Along with performing in concert halls, I frequent smaller communities and educational settings in which my position as a role model and an inspiring figure becomes clearly evident to other people of color.” “It brings me great satisfaction to be at a point in my career where I have the freedom to open up my agenda to several artistic engagements in under-resourced communities which might have a little budget for public music education, let alone a traveling guest artist.” In recognition of this commitment and of his astounding success as a classical musician, in March 2024 Sterling was awarded the highly coveted Sphinx Medal of Excellence and a $50,000 career grant, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization – a non-profit dedicated to the development of young Black and Latino classical musicians. The award was presented in recognition of Sterling’s artistic excellence, his outstanding work ethic, and his ongoing commitment to leadership and his community.

And when he is back home, he loves working on, and building cars. “That’s what I love to do – be in the garage all day.” In Easton, his love for his art, his total involvement with his music, will win over the audience.

For program information and to purchase tickets, go to https://chesapeakemusic.org/festival/.

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Spy Daybook: An Outdoor Education Experience Worth 1,800 Miles by Cailey Tebow

May 19, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

At 7:00 AM on a bright Tuesday morning, the nineteen restless students from The Logan School for Creative Learning entered the airport, eager to begin their journey. The trip ahead required the group to travel five hours by plane and bus, leaving from Denver, Colorado, before eventually arriving at Echo Hill Outdoor School in Worton, Maryland. Led by their environmental education teacher, Matt Kohn, the 6-8th graders were prepared to spend the week exploring the Eastern Shore nearly 1,800 miles from home.

Deciding on this destination was no coincidence. In fact, EHOS was hand-picked by the students as a part of the final project for their travel unit at The Logan School. The project required students to divide into four-person groups and pitch an ideal location for the class’s annual Spring trip. As a part of their assignment, they assumed the responsibility of outlining the trip’s budget, itinerary, geography, and sustainability efforts and serving as the initial point of contact with the potential host organizations. As a class, they immediately saw the appeal in EHOS, ultimately deciding to split their week-long trip between the allure of the outdoor classroom and the urban excitement of nearby DC.

When asked what stood out about EHOS, the students excitedly spoke over each other, passionately sharing their recent experiences with the interactive classes, the engaging nighttime programs, the generous amount of free time, and even the delicious food. When designing the official schedule, Matt selected which of the ~15 classes offered at EHOS best suited his students. This unique scheduling option allowed Matt to decide on classes most specific to the area. Each class was wholly hands-on. In Early American Studies, students used oyster shells to scrape out a model of a dugout canoe, built a fire, and made popcorn over it. They were later prompted to consider how their lives were similar to those on the land before them. In Orienteering, students had to work as a team to use compasses and map their routes along the campus. They enjoyed learning about waste practices in Garbology, facing their fears in the Adventure course, and bonding through games, music, and nights spent making s’mores around a fire. A favorite of the group was the program known as Opinions, where students reviewed “The Lorax” in theatrical form. After the performance, they were assigned varying roles and encouraged to consider what environmental solutions would satisfy different groups of people in the real world.

Aside from classes, The Logan School students valued their extensive rest periods throughout the day. At their age, children are typically bombarded with assignments and structured programs that restrict their self-direction and sense of unfiltered wonder. To prevent these limitations, EHOS provides students with a safe space to build a community and let their imaginations run wild. One student, Sydney, reflected on this when sharing what she liked most about EHOS, “I think that’s what makes us gel so much with [Echo Hill]. Our school is really student-driven.” While The Logan School allowed them to design their own major trip, Echo Hill Outdoor School allowed them the space to truly enjoy it.

For many, the food was also a major attraction at EHOS. If the middle school lunchroom of my memory was everyone for themselves, The Whip dining hall was the epitome of collaboration. Each mealtime began with a gathering outside, complete with an offering of thanks to fellow classmates, educators, and the natural world. Students and staff worked together to set tables, serve food, and clean up while singing camp songs and sharing anecdotes from the day. The “magic chef”, Cindy Jackson, was a charming and talented woman who put together miraculous meals from cinnamon vanilla pancakes to

cheesy scallop potatoes and baked chicken. All dietary restrictions were accounted for, ensuring that each visitor was well fed regardless of their preferences, and suggestions were taken seriously. With her sassy chihuahua, Jerry Garcia, by her side, Cindy impressed any group that came through the school. At the end of each mealtime, students participated in “Slop Count”, where they combined their food waste and weighed it. In doing this, they competed with themselves for lower weights each meal and learned about the impacts of food waste. Slop proved shockingly effective with students gleefully pounding on the tables in anticipation of the final weight announcement. When they enjoyed their final meal together, the final weight was 0lbs. A meal shared among ~30 people without any waste is an impressive feat.

After discussing with the well-spoken, sociable students of The Logan School, it quickly became apparent to me why EHOS was worth the distance. I had the honor of experiencing the magic of EHOS myself while observing two incredible classes: Bay Studies and Scanoe. Run by the charismatic associate director, Captain Andy, “Bay Studies” was an exhilarating introduction to the importance of watershed health and estuary ecosystems. Captain Andy was no stranger to using humor as a learning tool, sparking giggles throughout the group as he pretended to have a taste of a soil sample. He ensured that each guest on his boat felt comfortable and cared for, introducing himself to everyone individually as he helped them aboard ceremoniously. The students were giddy, encouraging each other to hold the fish, and audibly gasping as new information was shared. They were even prompted to compliment the fish and give them a peck, a suggestion that led to endless laughter and shrieks. “I kissed a carp,” one student grinned, “Put that in the article.”

Swamp Canoe class, or “Scanoe”, was led by long-time class leader, Jake Swane, and was equally as exciting as the first. Jake led students across the swamp boardwalk, discussing the succession of the ecosystem and human impact on the area throughout history. They eventually reached a canoe raft where everyone had room to pile on and paddle through the landscape together. In 2015, Jake was first hired at EHOS with the intention of summer-long employment. Instead, he fell in love with the school and has taught there for nearly ten years. This was a common sentiment among staff who tested out assistant teaching positions on a whim and ended up unable to part with such an incredible place. A visitor of EHOS will often hear the senior educator, Amanda Fry, saying that hospitality is their specialty. No truer words were ever spoken. Each staff member was gracious, kind, and constantly willing to drop whatever they were doing to help a visitor or colleague. Even after a windy night huddled in sleeping bags, they remained highly engaged and welcoming to everyone involved.

The impact of outdoor education is in full force at Echo Hill Outdoor School and it is essential for the future health of our planet. EHOS inspired a sense of childlike wonder within me that is often diminished in higher education and the professional world. The students at The Logan School for Creative Learning feel this inspiration just as strongly. Seventh-grader Hari explained the appeal of EHOS perfectly, saying, “Out of the building is the best way to learn it all… there’s just something about getting out of the classroom.” While they gathered together to take turns petting an eel or holding onto each other to avoid slipping in the ankle-deep slush of the swamp, they were learning so much more about the power of nature than could be achieved in the silence of a classroom. These types of lessons spark activism and understanding in the upcoming generations, encouraging motivation for environmental problem-solving that has the potential to last a lifetime. Without engaging, informative, and optimistic programs like those at EHOS, environmental health suffers and young environmentalists lose hope. Captain Andy conveyed this perfectly while addressing his class: “Humans figure things out,” he said confidently. “We can do this. That’s the good thing.”

Cailey Tebow is a Salisbury University grad with a passion for the environment and journalism.

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Chicken Scratch: All clear. Are you ready? By Elizabeth Beggins

February 25, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

I followed two ladies down the grocery store aisle, like a bad odor, unpleasant and ignored. One woman walked alongside her cart, talking on her phone, while the other, a few paces on, ran her hand along the shelves as if checking for dust. I had a death grip on my Zen. The rack stroker was far enough ahead that I was sure I’d soon have a shot at a clear passage. Just then, another shopper wheeled into the vacancy from the opposite direction. I must have scowled. She made a point of apologizing.

“It’s not YOUR fault,” I said, none too pleased, as I finally pushed past them all.

In the time it took for the bottleneck to resolve, I’d had a spirited internal conversation, proud of my relative self-restraint, critical of Madam Chatty for taking up most of the aisle. The spongy computer that lives inside my skull took a nanosecond to assess, assemble data points it recognized, and generate a narrative about the two women. And every word of it was an assumption based on prior experience and preconceived ideas. Quite satisfied with its ability to organize and recall information in the blink of an eye, my brain fed me its version of their story without need of a prompt, the prototypal ChatGPT, and similarly lacking in emotional intelligence.

This was implicit bias in action, the automatic reactions, attitudes and stereotypes—be they positive or negative—we all have toward other people. It’s there whether we acknowledge it or not. Most of us don’t, but we should, because the stories we tell ourselves are at the heart of our polarization.

Yep, it’s us. We’re the problem, it’s us. Among people who have the luxury of focusing on challenges that extend beyond keeping themselves fed and sheltered, it is human hostility catalyzing the avalanche of political, racial, gender, climate, immigration, you-name-it division we’re all trying desperately to outrun. The world is awful, and we’re the cause.

But that, too, is just one version of our story.

It’s true, the world is awful. It is also true that the world is much better and can get better still.

In an essay titled,The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better, Max Roser, founder and director of Our World in Data reminds us that unsolved problems and progress are not mutually exclusive. He writes, “If we only see the problems and only hear what is going wrong, we have no hope that the future can be better. If we only hear about progress and what is going right, we become complacent and lose sight of the problems the world is facing. Both of these narrow perspectives have the same consequence: they leave us doing nothing — they are worldviews that paralyze us.”

Thus, he encourages us to accept that all of these statements can be simultaneously accurate. Certainly, there is deep suffering, but not as much as there was a century or two ago. Tragedies still occur with great frequency, but history teaches us that change is possible. The world can improve, and it is.

Roser points to trends in global child mortality by way of example, but there are other markers to validate his premise: advances in emissions, improved voter representation, the eradication of extreme poverty, and so on. These are skillfully illustrated in Beautiful Numbers, a visual story crafted by Austrian graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister.

In The Illusion of Moral Decline, a report published last June, researchers Adam M. Mastroianni and Daniel T. Gilbert conclude, as the study title suggests, that despite a pervasive notion, spanning 60 countries and 70 years, that we are on a highway to hell, “people’s reports of the morality of their contemporaries have not declined over time, suggesting that the perception of moral decline is an illusion.”

Importantly, the researchers also note concern that such beliefs make us less likely to ask for help or accept help from strangers, and more likely to use declining morality as a “veritable call to arms.” All the misperception feels real, and in the wrong minds, with a false narrative about exacting justice, that may be enough to provoke drastic consequences.

So, what of that? Should we sit tight, hold our breath and hope the other shoe doesn’t drop on our watch? Wring our hands and Henny Penny our way through life with no recourse? Continue feeling hopeless and helpless?

If that and your vote are all you feel you have to offer, then who am I to insist you do more? I promise I’m not judging you. The grocery lane is all clear. My implicit bias is fully in check, for the time being.

That said, I’m going to offer an overarching solution for those who sense that the time has come to do more. It is an approach that can be simple and straightforward, requiring minimal input on your part. Or it can expand to become a bigger, more collaborative investment while still being relatively accessible.

Are you ready? Here it is:

Talk with people.

In the grocery store. In the post office. On the bus. On social media. Around the dinner table. At the library. In the cafeteria. At the gym. Wherever you are, wherever you go, open the door to conversation.

Maybe you’re an introvert. Maybe you’re worried you’ll mess up. At its most basic level, we’re just talking about a mutual exchange, a casual remark, a dollop of decency dropped into the day.

“You have such a great smile.”

“I love your shoes.”

“Watching you interact with your children has brought me so much joy today.”

“I really appreciate you.”

While planning this piece, I reviewed a significant number of articles and books, videos and blogs. I found countless accounts of how we got this way and how long it has been building. (Hint: Much longer than the last two presidential terms). I read about extremism and nationalism. I found well-reasoned analyses of how social media algorithms are designed to engender disunion. I read about lack of trust and partisanship. I looked at list after list of supposed solutions until I finally landed on a theme that anyone at all could grab.

It works for individuals, and it works for groups. In communities across the nation, the programs with the most remarkable results were those that involved reaching out to people, respectfully and with a desire to learn, programs anchored in civil discourse.

There was the Tulane University Medical Center intervention that brought together local government and civic organizations, advocates and academics, to help reduce gun violence. There was a program model in Washington state called The If Project (the linked TED talk here is so damned inspiring!) designed to bring currently- and formerly-incarcerated adults, community partners, and law enforcement together to reduce rates of incarceration and recidivism. There were toolkits for library-hosted community conversation programs that truly seemed manageable for just about anyone with a desire to get something of value going in their area.

What I didn’t see was superiority or hubris. I didn’t see groups of people who were unwilling to accept that theirs might not be the only story.

In his book, Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, psychologist, and Stanford professor, Geoffrey L. Cohen details how situations and circumstances shape people far more than their inherent personality traits. What happens to us and around us is more impactful than our feelings, behaviors and character. What matters most are feelings of belonging.

It follows, then, that anything any one of us can do to shape perception and build inclusivity, even in our own minds, has the potential for profoundly positive results.

In the smallest corners of social life, we can look for opportunities to conjure some of the magic of belonging. Community can be found and created in the most unlikely places. We can all change the world in small ways. We can shape situations to make them less threatening and more welcoming, allowing people from all walks of life to feel that they belong and thrive.

~Geoffrey Cohen, Next Big Idea Club

I don’t know what will come in the next nine months, or four years, or the rest of my lifetime, or my children’s, or their children’s. I only know that I inhabit this swirling, warming, mass of matter with countless other beings who are doing their best to live good, happy lives. I have to believe that if we open ourselves to the possibilities, we can continue to form a more perfect Union.

Together.

p.s. There are many organizations nationwide who are committed to this kind of work. I am updating this post to include a few more here and, if time allows, will create a Google Doc to house a running list. Happy to add your suggestions!

Elizabeth Beggins spent over a decade as a niche farmer before becoming a food-focused freelance writer, educator, and consultant. As director of the You Food Project, an initiative rooted in school and community gardens, Elizabeth facilitated increased awareness of the connection between personal and environmental health. Now focusing on soil health, Elizabeth works through Chesapeake Bay Foundation as the Maryland Agriculture Outreach Specialist for the Million Acre Challenge. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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A Word Girls Teaser – Part One: Meredith Davies Hadaway

February 14, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

In a few weeks, the Spy will once again be collaborating with the Avalon Foundation on our evening program entitled Spy Nights. On the 28th, we will be taking over the Stolz Listening Room in downtown Easton for a remarkable evening of poetry with a special performance of the Word Girls.

Made up of three gifted poets—Meredith Davies Hadaway, Erin Murphy, and Amanda Newell—with strong local ties to Chestertown, Gunston School, and Washington College. They’re all set to captivate audiences with original verses that span environmental, societal, and deeply personal themes.

We begin our Word Girls Tease with Meredith. Meredith Davies Hadaway is the author of four poetry collections, most recently, Small Craft Warning, a collaboration with visual artist Marcy Dunn Ramsey. She has received fellowships from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts as well as a Maryland Arts Council Individual Artist Award. She is currently the Sophie Kerr Poet-in-Residence at Washington College.

This video is approximately two minutes in length.

WORD GIRLS
Stoltz Listening Room
Doors: 5:30pm / Talk: 6:00pm
WED 2/28 6:00PM

All proceeds go directly to support the arts on the Mid-Shore by the Spy and the Avalon Foundation. Tickets can be purchased here.

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Thinking of Spring on the Shore by Deena Kilmon

February 6, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

Who is ready for spring? When I saw the daffodils and the hellebores peeking their shoots through the leaves, it got me thinking about some adventures from last summer. We found an amazing place to kayak, but my spouse and paddling companion forbid me from telling anyone where we were for fear of my giant readership overtaking our secret run. But the memories of this adventure are so strong, the visuals keep flooding back, especially in the doldrums of winter, that I have to tell you a bit anyway.

We found this launch after a long drive through the gorgeous outback of Talbot County, where fields and forests still exist as far as the eye can see. Particularly on the edges where it meets Caroline County, the beauty is breathtaking. For many, that Sunday drive might be the peach they need and it is easy to stop there. But for us, we must get out on the water to replenish our souls. For over three hundred years, my husband’s family has been on these waters, and while I don’t have the details on my ancestors as he does, I know that must have been a sea-loving crowd too. It’s in my bones.

So we get to the launch, which is small, unkempt, but serviceable. Typically in these types of places, parking is limited, there are no facilities, and the nearby owners do their best to pretend it isn’t there by not tending to the lands nearby. You must persevere, it is worth it. The first thing you notice is the overwhelming quiet once the car engine is off the and music stops. You take that in, but then a flood of nature sounds washes over you and you realize it isn’t quiet here at all. You can hear the wind rustle through the leaves, the call of at least a dozen types of birds, the plop-plop-plop of turtles as they jump off their logs when you paddle by, and the sounds of the water itself lapping against the banks and splashing under your paddle. (Do turtles jump off logs, or just slide? These are things you ask yourself when you have the time to do so!)

So on to the secret stuff. You paddle for our twenty minutes down this river, take a few left turns (or is it right?) until you maybe see a small opening in the marsh grass. You nose your kayak through and find a stream that starts to narrow pretty rapidly after about another twenty minutes. The banks of the river though, are wide and pretty, and dotted here and there and pools of water to the sides. After gaping at the gorgeous flowers, butterflies, and waterfowl, or if you are lucky a baby deer or two, you look down. And what a wonder. The water is perfectly clear, with a brilliance that almost hurts the eyes. You know those clear glass aquariums that you see in nature museums that showcase the bay’s creatures? Well, this is a big natural one, with no admission fee. Baby rockfish, crayfish, and various other critters swim and scuttle by. You hesitate, but then throw you paddles aside and dive in. Glorious cool, fresh water, a secret paradise we hope no one ever finds. And that’s all I can tell you.

See you on the river soon, my friends.

Deena Kilmon is an artist and writer based in Easton, Maryland. She serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives Easton Economic Development Corporation. Deena is a 2021 Leadership Maryland alumna and a graduate of The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

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A Conservation Journey From Cordova to Palaka and Back to Delmarva by Norman Greenhawk

January 1, 2024 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: As part of the Spy’s welcoming of the new year, we thought our readers would particularly enjoy this inspiring story by Mid-Shore native Norman Greenhawk and his conservation journey from Cordova to the Philippines to create the Harris Conservation Initiative and his plans for the Eastern Shore.

Twenty years ago, if you told me that I’d be writing this from the Philippines, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s a far cry from Cordova, Maryland, where I was born and raised. Like most people in town, my family is working class; anyone familiar with Easton Farmers’ Market likely knows my mother’s business, CD Produce, a mainstay at the Saturday market for over 20 years. My grandfather spent his life as a construction worker at James Julian Construction in Delaware. My grandmother worked as a cafeteria manager at the Moton and Dobson buildings at Easton Elementary School in Easton, Maryland. My mother supported our family with her market produce business, and even after retirement, my grandparents helped us on the farm and at our family’s produce stand.

Harry and Stella Harris of Cordova

My grandparents, Harry and Stella Harris, lived just a mile from my house, and so every weekend I’d stay over from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening. We had a tradition; every week, we’d tune into Wild America and National Geographic documentaries that were aired on Maryland Public Television. These nature programs showed me a world that seemed like fantasy, with brightly colored treefrogs peeking out of bromeliads, giant birds swooping to catch prey, and forests that seemed older than time. My grandfather would take me fishing for bluegill and smallmouth bass at the “gravel pits” owned by his employer. My grandmother would buy every book that caught my eye; the topics usually centered on dinosaurs, tropical forests, frogs, lizards, and botany. My grandfather shared with me his passion of raising aquarium fish and tropical birds. When I wanted my first pet frog, he helped convert an old fish tank into a setup appropriate for housing amphibians.

They supported my love of nature and the outdoors, but more so, they encouraged my education. I’m the first member of my family to graduate from college, earning my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from Washington College in 2003. My career took me away from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I’ve lived 11 years in Puerto Rico and five years in the Philippines. I’ve also worked and trained in Belize, Honduras, and Panama. My passions are conservation, herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians), forest ecology, and habitat preservation.

Norman Greenhawk (green shirt, on the left) on a trip to Belize with students from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras

My specialty is ex-situ conservation, specifically, taking endangered animals from the wild, breeding them in captivity, and then returning the captive-bred offspring to the wild to boost populations. In 2015, my Fulbright award took me to the Philippines, where I established Project Palaka, the first organization in the country that focused on “ex-situ” (captive breeding) of endangered Philippine amphibians. We’re currently working to conserve and protect the Gigantes Limestone Frog, Platymantis insulatus, the most threatened frog species in the Philippines. Our team conducts population monitoring and threat assessment, in the remote Gigantes Islands, located in the Visayan Sea in the Philippines. We also have an assurance colony of the frog set up in Subic Bay, Zambales. Since October 2022, Project Palaka has been breeding the Gigantes Limestone frog in captivity, with plans to start reintroduction in late 2024.

Over the past two years, I’ve considered how to bring my experiences home to the Delmarva Peninsula. While my grandparents always worried about me, they supported my travels and work around the world. They have since passed on, and I miss them daily. As a way of honoring their memory, I created The Harris Conservation Initiative (“HCI”). Formed in 2021, HCI is a 509 (a)(2) charity. Through this organization, I seek to enact real, measurable conservation actions that focus on overlooked, understudied, and ignored species of herpetofauna and freshwater fish. I have established partnerships in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Belize. Now, I’m developing projects in two additional areas- Japan, and back home on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Platymantis insulatus, the Gigantes Limestone frog, Philippines. Photo by Jayson Madlao.

The Delmarva Peninsula, although small, contains six ecoregions and five types of wetlands. The Peninsula’s diverse habitats, from the forests of the Piedmont Uplands near Pennsylvania to the coastal wetlands, are home to 70 species of reptiles and amphibians and more than 40 species of freshwater fish. Conservation organizations around the world rightly focus on protecting the biodiversity of developing nations, where threats to the environment are often intensified. But that doesn’t mean that developed nations have solved all of their ecological concerns.

On a local level, I’m aiming to set up a network of study sites to monitor target species across various ecosystems on the Delmarva Peninsula, to establish updated baseline populations of threatened species, as well to enact data-driven conservation measures to protect Delmarva’s herpetofauna. I am also highly open to collaborating with local, established NGOs and conservation groups.

Just as importantly, I also began the Harris Conservation Initiative to provide the same opportunities that I have had to others. A major goal of the organization is to facilitate a research and collaboration exchange program between each project. From my time my graduate program at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, I know that every year, Puerto Rican students travel to Maryland’s Western Shore to engage in ecological research. I’d like to open that opportunity to the Eastern Shore and Delmarva, so that students from abroad can experience not only the peninsula’s unique natural landscape, but culture as well. I also want to see talented college students from Delmarva travel to and gain experience in herpetological surveys in Belize, or tropical forestry in Puerto Rico.

I believe that by providing these opportunities, young, aspiring conservationists will be able to gain experience working in ecosystems that they otherwise might not.

Norman Greenhawk is the director of the Harris Conservation Initiative. He is a graduate of Washington College and is holds a Master Herpetologist certification from The Amphibian Foundation. He is also a recipient of the National Geographic Explorer award and a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Specialist. He currently lives in Philippines.

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

As the New YMCA Opens in Centreville, Remember It’s More Than a Gym by Ryan Smith

October 6, 2023 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: On the day that the YMCA of the Chesapeake opens its doors to its new center in Centreville, the Spy wanted to share Ryan Smith’s moving reminder of what the Y is all about.

“Mostly, what I have learned so far about aging, despite the creakiness of one’s bones and cragginess of one’s once-silken skin, is this: Do it. By all means, do it.”

-Maya Angelou

According to a study done by the National Arthritis Data Workgroup, nearly 50% of American citizens over the age of 65 have been diagnosed with arthritis, the most common kind being osteoporosis, a degenerative joint disease that settles in when the tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joints steadily breaks down over time. Osteoporosis causes pain, stiffness, and swelling for sufferers, often preventing them from being able to perform daily tasks. With stiffness in joints from the fingers and elbows to hips and knees, tasks that used to be simple, from advanced motor function in the hands to walking without support, become challenging, and even worse, sufferers of osteoporosis are more likely to break a bone, creating pain and adversity that they’ll endure for the rest of their lives.

As of this writing, there is no cure for osteoporosis, but studies do show there are ways to slow the effects. Steady exercise has been proven to reduce the rate of bone less and conserve bone tissue. Exercise also helps restore muscle mass and moving balance, but too vigorous of exercise can actually prove to be detrimental, as exercising carelessly could lead to a fall or a fracture.

Enter Enhance Fitness. Enhance Fitness is an evidence based program (EBP) founded by Sound Generations (formerly known as Senior Services) and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc (formerly known as Group Health Cooperative) in the mid-1990’s, and what it aims to do is provide a safe but challenging workout that doesn’t utilize equipment outside of cuff-weights and a chair. Enhance Fitness participants meet for one hour, three times a week, for 16 weeks, and by sticking to a scientifically formulated regimen, they see improvement in physical function, leading to fewer falls, fewer unplanned hospitalizations, and a lower mortality rate.

I stopped by the Y at Washington Street in Easton, Maryland for a session of Enhance Fitness and had the privilege of having a wonderful chat with a few program participants, and with smiles on their faces, had nothing but praise for the program and their instructor, the YMCA of the Chesapeake’s Director of Chronic Disease Programming, Barb Jarrell.

Photo is of Sharon Ainsworth and her granddaughter Ella Gill.

One participant, Suzanne Foster, said, “my story is really simple, I used to be young! And now I’m not, and this class is perfect. A lot of aerobics classes, they say ‘do what you can’ and ‘do things at your speed,’ but the thing is, you don’t know what you can’t do until you can’t do it. Enhance Fitness isn’t like that, it challenges you, but we’re safe and we have fun. Plus there’s great music.”

But it isn’t just arthritis sufferers who have benefited from the program. While most of the people who were willing to be interviewed did have one variation or another, some went because of the ways the class has given them a new outlook on exercise.

“I love coming to the Y, it gives me energy for the rest of the week, and I would come sometimes and do the treadmill, but without a group, it was easy to take days off or go easy,” said Linda, another of the participants. “I look forward to coming to class and seeing my friends. A few years ago, I had hip replacement surgery and I’ve had shoulder issues, but it [Enhance Fitness] has really helped. I’m more limber and I’m proud to say I can touch my toes again!”

Sharon, a retired elementary school principal, is a Triple Negative Breast Cancer survivor who has had to overcome the side-effects of her final chemotherapy treatment. “The chemo caused nerve damage in my feet and lower legs, so I walked with a walker and then a cane for a long time. My balance was, and still is, impacted by the nerve damage. I have been in Enhance Fitness for almost 5 years, and though the chemotherapy induced nerve damage in my feet and lower legs is permanent, I’ve learned balance exercises that help so much. The cardio and strengthening exercises are also great. I have not used a cane in a long time and my knee replacement a year ago was very successful because of the strengthening exercises! We have an excellent instructor and group of participants who make our class a fun place to be!”

One of the major philosophies of the Y’s on the Eastern Shore is that each branch be “more than just a gym.” While the weight rooms, pools, and exercise classes serve thousands of Marylanders every day, the real heartbeat of the association is the communities that thrive within it. On the surface, Enhance Fitness is yet another low-impact, steady and safe group exercise class for senior citizens, but just beneath, it’s so much more.

On top of helping participants live longer, healthier, more active lives, it also fosters a community where people care about each other and push one another to try their best. One participant, who chose not to be interviewed, is 94 years old, and still comes to every class, every three days, every week. It’s a program that helps one person get out of the house, another out of their comfort zone, and another back on their feet. There’s a reason that participants keep coming back, session after session, and it’s not just Barb’s excellent playlist.

To learn more about the Y’s Enhanced Fitness program, contact Wendy Palmer at 410-822-0566

Ryan Smith is a member of the YMCA of the Chesapeake Staff.

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

The Work and Legacy of Historic Preservationist Michael Bourne by Chris Havemeyer

September 27, 2023 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

Cloverfields outside Centreville

The Historical Society of Kent County is going out of its way to celebrate the recent donation of the letters and drawings of Kent County preservationist and historian Michael Bourne for good reasons.

The first, of course, is the material itself since Michael’s lifetime of research and preservation architecture in throughout the Mid-Atlantic is now safely in the hands of good stewards for countless numbers of scholars in the future. Bourne’s work faithfully documented almost every historic structure in Chestertown and the surrounding region, which motivated dozens of philanthropic projects to rescue those houses from demolition.

The Bourne research also led to the 1998 publication of Historic Homes of Kent County, a painstakingly comprehensive survey of architectural history that deservedly won praise from the academic community and the general public.

The second reason this is such good news is that more local people need to know about Michael and his critical role in saving some of the very best examples of Chestertown’s past.

Working discreetly with a handful of active volunteers under the banner of Preservation, Inc., Michael and town preservationists such as Wilbur Hubbard, Maynard Presley White, Dave Ferguson, David Williams, Karl E. Miller, and myself, the group would rescue such important landmarks as 518 High Street, The Buck Bacchus Store at 116 High Street, The John Greenwood House at 126 Queen Street, The Bolton and Dunn Houses at 135 & 137 Queen Street, and, finally, the Sumner Hall GAR Post.

Sumner Hall GAR Post

The same group was pivotal in finding new owners to save numerous Scott’s Point area buildings and four houses on the 200 block of Cannon Street. In all of these projects, Michael Bourne was the linchpin, instrumental in the selection, stabilization, design, and supervision of the restoration of all of them.

He was also the guiding light as a restoration consultant for notable projects like the Customs House and The White Swan Tavern. In total, Bourne’s body of work included preserving and restoring more than 100 structures throughout the Chesapeake region.

After Preservation, Inc. sunset in 1995, Michael worked for the Maryland Historical Trust as an easement administrator and certified approximately 400 buildings throughout the state.

One of Michael’s last projects before retirement was a collaboration on Cloverfields outside Centreville.

The one consistent factor in all of Michael’s work was his modesty. Reserved by nature, Bourne, who had at one point seriously considered becoming a priest, prioritized staying under the radar, which endeared him to shy landowners and modest donors.

But a lifetime of discretion also meant that when Michael passed away last year, perhaps only a handful of us knew firsthand how impactful his role was in saving these irreplaceable historic assets.

And that is why I am so pleased that the Historical Society, of which Michael was a proud member, has made it a priority to preserve his work and celebrate his legacy.

Chris Havemeyer was a board member of Preservation, Inc. from 1974 to 1996 and former owner of the White Swan Tavern in Chestertown.

The Historical Society of Kent County will be honoring Michael Bourne on October 8 from 2pm to 4 pm. For more information please go here.

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

One Day in September of 1861 by Paul Callahan

September 23, 2023 by Spy Daybook Leave a Comment

September 12, 1861, began with the entire front page of the New York Herald dominated by a map that meticulously detailed the advance positions of the Confederate army along the Potomac in preparation for an attack upon the Nation’s Capitol. The headline read – Over Three Hundred Thousand Armed Men – Scene of the Coming Decisive Conflict. The Nation’s North was not caught off guard by this development, as they had been reading about the rebel forces’ impending attacks for weeks.

A series of internationally published articles had detailed how the Maryland Legislature was cooperating with Confederate forces in that they would issue an ordinance of secession and simultaneously Confederate Generals Johnston and Beauregard would cross the Potomac to “liberate” Maryland and attack Washington from the flank. The internationally disseminated articles detailed how a rebel army had been amassing in Accomac on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and was to be led up the Delmarva by General Tench Tilghman of Talbot county who had been disposed of his commission by Governor Hicks that May.

This force of rebels would be used to support both the Legislature’s secession and the attack upon Washington by acting as a blocking force to isolate Washington from reinforcements. At the commencement of the operation, Baltimore Mayor George W. Brown was to conduct a demonstration in Baltimore City as a tactical diversion to draw Union troops away from Washington. General Beauregard was assigned the attack upon Washington while General Johnston was to capture Rockville which was to be the rallying point for Maryland secessionists to join with Johnston’s forces. The Maryland secessionists were to be armed with the guns of the Maryland militia that had been secretively hidden from the federal forces who had been searching for and confiscating the arms of Maryland all summer. If Beauregard did not require reinforcement for his attack upon the Capitol, Johnston was to continue to Baltimore to liberate that city.

The rebel plans had been uncovered by the War Department weeks prior and preparations had been made to foil the secessionist’s plot. The Lincoln administration established “secret police” mainly consisting of Pinkerton Detective Agency personnel. These agents had infiltrated Baltimore, gathering intelligence and were ready to act. On September 11, Secretary of War Simon Cameron issued the order and the “modus operandi” was coordinated between Union Generals McClellan and Banks. Around midnight on September 12, the arrests began which included eleven members of the Maryland Legislature who resided in Baltimore, Baltimore Mayor George Brown and United States Congressman Henry May.

Two editors of Baltimore’s “secessionist” papers, Thomas W. Hall, editor of The South and Frank Key Howard, editor of The Daily Exchange were also arrested. Frank Key Howard was the grandson of Francis Scott Key, the author of our national anthem and thought it an “odd and unpleasant coincidence” that he was imprisoned at Fort McHenry on the forty-seventh anniversary of when his grandfather wrote in praise about the “land of the free.”The arrests continued and culminated on September 17, when the Third Wisconsin regiment arrested members of the Legislature as they returned to the city of Frederick to continue their legislative session.

Those who were not immediately captured went into hiding, leading to the Third Wisconsin surrounding the city and conducting house-to-house searches to capture the remaining secessionists. In all, 33 members of the Legislature were arrested which included members of the House and Senate’s administrative staff. Many of those arrested joined Baltimore’s Police Chief, George P. Kane and the Baltimore Police Commissioners who had been arrested in June and were imprisoned at Fort Lafayette in New York harbor.

The Northern Press immediately reported how these arrests “foiled” the Confederate attack plans against the Capitol in that they dared not cross the Potomac without the Maryland Legislature first issuing their secession ordinance. The Northern Press reported the discovery of ordinances of secession amongst the traitorous Legislative members and that other evidence was found revealing that their complicity in their cooperation with the rebel army and their intent to take Maryland out of the Union was without question. A statement by President Lincoln was published in the Baltimore American, where the President asserted that due to “public safety” the grounds of the arrests cannot be made public at this time, but he assured the people of Maryland that “…in all cases the Government is in possession of tangible and unmistakable evidence, which will, when made public, be satisfactory to every loyal citizen.”

It has now been 162 years and that evidence has never been provided. There has been no ordinance of secession found, nor has it been shown that a rebel army had amassed in Accomac Virginia to be led by General Tilghman. Research of military records reveals that the Confederate army did not have 200,000 men amassed along the Potomac and Union Generals had no concern that there was about to be an attack. There has been no evidence that the Maryland Legislature was contemplating secession or were coordinating with the Confederate army in an attack upon the Capitol. General Tilghman, Mayor Brown, Frank Key Howard, and numerous members of the Legislature all attested that there were no such secessionist activities and pointed to the Legislature’s Proclamation to the People of Maryland issued that April which proclaimed they had no “constitutional authority” to issue a secession ordinance. All the aforementioned internationally disseminated reports, originating from Washington, are assessed as “fake news” designed to control national and world opinion.

The U.S. Civil War was the first conflict where the confluence of two major technologies were used in the conduct of war. By the start of the war, over fifty thousand miles of telegraph wire had been installed to instantly transmit information across the Nation. With the advent of the steam-driven presses the costs to print newspapers greatly decreased. These factors, combined with a literacy rate amongst voters that is close to our modern era, caused newspaper readership to expand exponentially.

Modern historians such as Harold Holzer and Elizabeth Mitchel have uncovered President Lincoln’s compulsion in using the press to control public opinion and quoted Lincoln as stating “Public sentiment is everything, with it nothing can fail; against it nothing can succeed. Holzer and Mitchel document how Lincoln secretly purchased a German newspaper to support his Presidential campaign and how he wrote “ghost articles” that either supported his candidacy or criticized his opponents.

It is now discovered that the Third Wisconsin were specifically instructed to arrest only the members of the Maryland Legislature that had voted “yay” on what became known as the “Wallis Report,” and were ordered to find and destroy all copies. The “Wallis Report” was named after Severn Teackle Wallis, the Chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Federal Relations. The report and resolutions were passed by a vote of 54 – 13 and the names of each Legislative member were attached which recorded their vote. The report was the Legislature’s protest against the constitutional violations committed by the Lincoln administration against the State of Maryland and her citizens and called for an immediate cessation of all hostilities between the beleaguered states. The intent was to take their protest and calls for peace directly to the American public, ordering 25,000 copies to be printed and distributed throughout the Nation.

The majority of the Maryland Legislature desired peace and maintained a political view of “constitutional” Unionism where they did not want Maryland to leave the Union but held the U.S. Constitution superior to the policies enacted by the federal government that violated its articles. This placed many Marylanders at odds with the administration’s policies and were thus considered “sympathetic” to the Southern cause and were included within the labels of “Southern sympathizers” and “secessionists.” The majority of the Maryland Legislature, specific newspaper editors and many Marylanders inappropriately fell into this group of the “disloyal.”

The Lincoln administration viewed the protests of Maryland’s Legislature as more powerful than all the men and arms Maryland could have mustered, even if Maryland had not been disarmed. By September 1861, Maryland had been disarmed as federal forces, with the cooperation of Governor Hicks, had aggressively confiscated state arms and deposited the same at Fort McHenry. The state was overwhelmingly occupied by federal troops and Baltimore was strongly intimidated by the guns of Fort McHenry and those on Federal Hill trained upon her inhabitants. By written instructions to his General, President Lincoln had already directed his military that if Maryland took arms against the United States, they were to “bombard their cities.”

It was not just the suppression of dissent that was desired, the administration wanted Maryland to be controlled by “unconditional” unionists that would fully support the war effort. The imprisonment of the Legislature eliminated “disloyal” members from public office or from influencing public opinion in Maryland. Their imprisonment created vacancies that needed to be filled and their imprisonment was a strong deterrent against anyone maintaining a dissenting political view from running for elected positions in Maryland.

Historians never understood why the Baltimore Police Commissioners had been imprisoned on the personal orders of Secretary Simon Cameron. The commissioners had protected the 6th Massachusetts during the Baltimore riots on April 19 and provided security to thousands of federal troops afterwards right until their removal from office. It now becomes clear that their removal was due to an important function that had been assigned to them by the Maryland Legislature – to conduct the elections in Baltimore. The federal provost marshal appointed to replace the commissioners was tasked to oversee not just Baltimore’s police, but the city’s elections as well. With this appointment, the city’s police and 120 election judges quit in protest and were subsequently replaced by men of the provost marshal’s choosing. Baltimore accounted for one-third of the voting population of Maryland and the November election was for half of the state’s Senate, all of the House Delegates and the governorship of Maryland.

With the elections of Baltimore under federal control and with election judges appointed by the provost marshal, a policy was implemented to ensure the “disloyal” were discouraged from voting. During the morning of the statewide election, a large number of arrests were made of the voters who attempted to vote a disloyal ticket or who showed any indication of disloyalty. The police station’s jails were filled to capacity and word quickly spread throughout the city keeping all who desired to vote any ticket other than the “unconditional” union ticket away from the polls. With the voter intimidation, almost all positions, including the governorship of Maryland, went to “unconditional” unionists.

The manipulation of the Maryland elections would not have been possible with a legislative body and a free press willing to report and publicize these violations of democracy to the American public and the world. The Maryland Legislature and the free press became victims to the “necessity” that only voices supporting the war effort would be heard and only “unconditional” unionists would dominate the Maryland government.

The suspension of constitutional liberties quickly expanded north and ultimately over 14,000 civilians were imprisoned, three hundred newspapers suppressed, and all remaining newspapers were highly intimidated and censored. Without a free press or the ability for Americans to voice dissent, the government became more brazen in manipulating elections of the border states. During the Maryland elections of 1863, voters had to pass through an armed gauntlet of soldiers while holding color-coded tickets that revealed which party they were supporting.

Many were denied their right to vote, and some were beaten and physically removed from the polls. Election judges who dared to protest the interference were arrested, and non-resident Union soldiers voted freely. Even the “unconditional” Unionists who were now governing the state of Maryland were aghast and protested against the violations of Maryland’s democracy.

“Fake news,” a divided Nation, election fraud, the overreach of presidential power, and the desire to imprison political opponents, is not new to our modern times. Considering the challenges we see to our democracy today, we now more than ever, need to heed the lessons of Civil War Maryland – When Democracy Fell.

Paul Callahan is a native of Talbot County Maryland, a graduate of the Catholic University of America and a former Marine Corps officer. When Democracy Fell is due for release on October 3, at all major retailers to include Amazon. Image of prisoners courtesy of “The Local History Channel.”

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

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