Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and its Main Street Maryland partners launched a campaign this week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Main Street Maryland program. Created in 1998 and managed by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Main Street Maryland program builds partnerships with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to strengthen the economic development potential in Maryland’s historic downtown districts and neighborhoods. Through the program, 33 communities have been designated as Main Streets.

“As the former mayor of a designated Main Street Maryland community, I have seen firsthand the positive economic growth fostered by the program in Salisbury and the partnerships and opportunities it created to spur additional redevelopment investment,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “The program has had a similar impact in diverse communities in all corners of Maryland over the last 25 years, improving the quality of life for residents while supporting locally owned businesses, events, and activities that provide visitors with an authentic Maryland experience.”

The department hosted a luncheon for Main Street Managers at the Dough Roller restaurant in Ocean City, a designated Main Street Maryland community, while many Main Street Managers and other local officials were attending the Maryland Municipal League 2023 Summer Conference. To mark the milestone, a commemorative 25th anniversary logo for the program was revealed, and a new social media campaign was also launched to promote Main Street tourism, featuring the hashtag #CelebrateMainStreetMD. The commemorative logo and hashtag were displayed at the department’s exhibition booth at the conference. The department encourages Marylanders to visit the state’s Main Street communities and enjoy their unique charm, local shops and events throughout the summer and use the hashtag to post about it on social media. Promotional items celebrating the anniversary at events and festivals will be shared throughout the year.

As the state coordinating program of the National Main Street Center, Main Street Maryland is part of a national network of state programs across the country and is authorized to bestow official, nationally recognized Main Street designations for communities in Maryland. To date, neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment activities in designated Main Street Maryland communities have supported approximately 3,800 new and expanding businesses; created more than 14,000 jobs; leveraged nearly $490 million in private investment for more than 5,600 projects, as well as $477 million in public investment for 1,750 projects; and leveraged almost 900,000 hours of volunteer work with a wage value of almost $27.5 million.

To learn more about Main Street Maryland and to see a full list of 2023 events, visit https://mainstreetmaryland.org/.

 

Every year at Celebration Impact, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region (The Arc) recognizes people in the community who have made a significant difference on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

The employees, organizational leaders, and people supported who were recognized at Celebration Impact last night embody The Arc’s core values with their heart-driven, action-oriented leadership. Celebration Impact is a meaningful space to thank those who have truly and consistently gone above and beyond.

“At The Arc, we define impact as life-altering, sustainable change,” said Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO of The Arc, during his opening remarks. “I am proud to say that this is something I get to witness here every day.” 

There were six awards granted to nine recipients this year, and three of those recipients were employees of The Arc. The Leadership in Direct Service Award went to Javonna Thomas, a direct support professional who has made a significant impact in supporting the people in her Day Services group to be independent and make their own decisions. Two Arc employees, Karen Cratty and Jessica Sauers, received this year’s Leadership in Administration & Management Award. Karen steadied The Arc’s corporate finance team through a great deal of growth and change this year, and Jessica took on all Children, Youth & Their Families programs in addition to running The Arc’s Community Supports programs as the inaugural Director of 2Gen Initiatives.  

The winners of the Outstanding Personal Achievement awards, granted to people The Arc supports for their contributions to the community, were Kojo Yirenkyi and Terry Cramer. They have been engaged, active members in their communities modeling independence for all.

Three other awards were granted last night: Delegates Mark Chang and Ben Barnes both received Lorraine Sheehan Advocacy Awards for their work on behalf of The Arc and the greater disability community, the Easton Rotary Club won the Leadership in Social Responsibility Award for their generous support of The Arc’s Expanding What’s Possible capital campaign for Port Stret Commons, and long-time leader, advocate, and disability rights champion Carol Beatty was awarded the Impact through Leadership Award, one of The Arc’s highest honors.

Because of these leaders’ hard work, commitment, and embodiment of The Arc’s mission and values, the impacts of their contributions will be felt for years to come. 

The Arc Central Chesapeake Region (The Arc) went public with their Expanding What’s Possible capital campaign at today’s Groundbreaking Ceremony for Port Street Commons.

Projected to open in the fall of 2024, Port Street Commons will be a first-of-its-kind community space in the redeveloped Port Street district in the heart of Easton. This innovative building will house both The Arc at Port Street, the new, permanent Eastern Shore Headquarters for The Arc, as well as The Residences at Port Street, developed in partnership with Chesapeake Neighbors, to include an attached wing with nine affordable apartments.

The Groundbreaking Ceremony took place at the future site of Port Street Commons and was attended by over 100 supporters, donors, and community leaders eager to celebrate this historic milestone for The Arc and for the town of Easton.

“What makes Port Street Commons a visionary sign of progress for our community is that it’s not just a Community Hub or Behavioral Health Suite. It’s not just affordable housing units. It’s all these things and more. Port Street Commons expands what’s possible,” said Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO of The Arc, at the event.

All speakers at the day’s events highlighted the many ways the construction of Port Street Commons supports many of Easton’s and the mid-shore’s top priorities, including creating jobs, providing more opportunities for person-centered services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and increasing access to affordable housing options.

Other speakers at the event included Megan Cook, Easton’s Mayor; Carol Beatty, Maryland Department of Disabilities Secretary; Jake Day, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary; Brooke Lierman, State Comptroller; and Dawn Moore, First Lady of Maryland.

“It has been exciting to celebrate today with the many community supporters, donors, and public champions of this project,” said Gregory Snyder, Chief of Staff.

This 24,000-square-foot new construction will cost The Arc almost $8.5 million to build, much of it done by Maryland- and Eastern Shore-based local contractors and businesses. The Arc’s capital campaign for Port Street Commons called Expanding What’s Possible began in December 2021 and has already raised over $4.7 million from federal and state partners, local community groups, and individual donors.

“A project like this is not possible without financial support, and we are grateful for everyone who continues to invest in The Arc’s mission and vision through this campaign,” said Gregory.

Port Street Commons is projected to open in Fall 2024. For more information about the future of The Arc and The Residences at Port Street, please visit us online: https://www.thearcccr.org/portstreetcommons/

Thanksgiving is always a very special holiday for us. Last fall, as in the past, almost the entire family gathered for turkey and all the traditional dishes. We were blessed with the attendance of six of our seven grandchildren…all 13 and younger. We sat in the kitchen as the turkey roasted when the grandkids arrived with scissors, colored pencils, and paper. They made 12 small pumpkins- one for each place around the dinner table. When we finally sat down to eat, Anna announced that on the reverse of each paper pumpkin was a message that we all should, in turn, read out loud.  They ranged from “you are braver than you think” to “never give up.”  When it came to my turn, I read, “Never trip on what is behind you.” I had been struggling with the topic for this column, but there it was offered by our grandchildren on the back of a paper pumpkin!

My task as a mediator is to help parties in conflict find common ground through a confidential conversation.  Each party has the opportunity to share its position. The mediator is not a judge. We do not decide the outcome or prescribe a settlement. The beauty of mediation is that power is vested in the parties themselves. They are in complete control of the outcome, not a judge or a jury. The parties also have considerable flexibility in designing the conditions of the settlement. A judge or jury can only decide on a very narrow question with a very narrow answer.  For example, in a case where money is owed, the judge may decide that, in fact, it is due to the other party. The challenge remains for the owed party to collect. In mediation, a payment plan that is acceptable to both can be created. 

As I guide the mediation conversation, I often recognize that the parties are stuck in the past. In all fairness, reviewing the circumstances that brought them to mediation is an important part of the process, but it also can be a trap. The best way to design a helpful settlement is to look forward and imagine how the situation (or life) would be different once the issue is settled. In other words, “Never trip on what is behind you.” My task as a mediator is to allow some time to review the circumstances that brought the parties to this point but then move the conversation toward finding a way forward. That settlement will not be perfect for either party, but it will provide closure and allow both to move on with their lives.  That is something for which everybody can be thankful.

Steve Forrer, the former dean, and vice-chancellor of the University of Maryland Global Campus, is currently a mediator for the Maryland District and Circuit Courts. Questions can be submitted at www.doncastermediation.com/contact for Steve to answer in this column. He also accepts private mediation.