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January 19, 2025

Cambridge Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Cambridge

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A Talbot County Star at the Starr Center: A Chat with Jaelon Moaney

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Jaelon Moaney’s appointment as Deputy Director of the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College is a full–circle return to his roots on the Eastern Shore.

A tenth-generation son of Talbot and Kent County, his ancestors helped found Copperville, the only American village founded by once-enslaved soldiers. They also helped establish the earliest free Black community known as “The Hill” in Easton.

A graduate of Easton High School and a B.A. with honors from Williams College as a political science major, Moaney’s journey back to the Cambridge area has been replete with education, preservation, and state-level engagements to not only foster an understanding of Black history but to promote and advocate learning projects honoring the “legacies and landscapes” of Delmarva.

Co-founder of the Needles Eye Academy in Talbot County, a project to promote the “literary empowerment for the Black & Brown youth of MD’s Eastern Shore”—covered in the Spy here—Moaney was recently appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to be on the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.

Moaney has emerged as a prominent figure in the national preservation movement in the United States, championing causes on Capitol Hill and state capitols nationwide. His deep policy knowledge and advocacy efforts played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, encompassing Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and southern Prince George’s counties. President Joe Biden signed this designation into law in January 2023. Additionally, his achievements include securing the confirmation of the Hon. Sara C. Bronin, the first person of color to chair the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the expansion and redesignation of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park to include four locations outside of the original site in Kansas. He also played a key role in establishing the Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area in Chicago, Illinois, and the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Texas.

Director of the Starr Center Adam Goodheart writes, “All of us at the Starr Center are thrilled to have Jaelon as the newest member of our leadership team. He comes to us with vision, passion, and an impressive record of community engagement and public service, as well as strong professional connections throughout Maryland and beyond. What’s more, he’s a proud native son of the Eastern Shore who draws inspiration from that legacy and is eager to share it with others. We can expect to see him at the helm of some exciting initiatives ahead.”

Jaelon Moaney recently shared his vision of working with the Starr Center with the Spy last week.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about the Starr Center at Washington College please go here.

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

Adkins Arboretum’s Happy Mystery Tuesday!  Guess who’s pictured below

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The answer to last week’s mystery is switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, pictured in photo below.
Switchgrass is a versatile and adaptable plant with beautiful colored, upright foliage. It can be used as a contrast plant, filler, or for added character in a garden bed. Once established, switchgrass is drought tolerant and grows well in high temperatures. It thrives in many weather conditions, soil types, and land conditions.
Switchgrass has a deep, fibrous root system – nearly as deep as the plant is tall! It makes a good habitat for upland game bird species, such as pheasant, quail, grouse, wild turkey, and song birds, thanks to its plentiful small seeds and tall cover.
Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.

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

Genrich Named Director of Women and Children’s Services at UM Shore Regional Health

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Jessica Genrich

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, recently named Jessica Genrich, MBA, RNC, as Director of Women and Children’s Services.

“Jess has dedicated her clinical career to the care of women and children, and her present and focused leadership in this specialty will support UM Shore Regional Health in caring for this population throughout their lifetime,” said Jenny Bowie, MBA, BSN, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at UM SRH.

Genrich has been with UM SRH since 2021, most recently as the interim nurse manager for UM SRH’s Women and Children’s Services, where she has also worked as a senior clinical nurse coordinator. Genrich began her nursing career as a labor and delivery nurse in 2004 at Luminis Health in Annapolis and has also worked in labor and delivery at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C.

Genrich obtained her Master of Business Administration from Longwood University in Farmville, Va., her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore and her Bachelor of Science in Management Science and Information Technology with a concentration in Business Support Systems from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

 

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

Musical Witches Brew: A Chat with Bette Midler Tribute Artist Jennica McCleary

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Be careful on March 9. Cauldrons will be bubbling, and spells will be cast at the 2024 Garfield Center for the Arts’ Gala as acclaimed tribute artist Jennica McCleary brings her musical witches brew of Hocus Pocus-themed “Winnie’s Rock Cauldron Cabaret” to Chestertown.

For fifteen years, McCleary has showcased her impersonation of Bette Midler’s Hocus Pocus with Winifred Sanderson for audiences. She has performed from Las Vegas’s Legends in Concert to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando and has been featured on major platforms such as MTV, VH1, and Entertainment Tonight. Disney’s Magic Kingdom handpicked her to debut as Winifred Sanderson in Disney’s ‘Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular’ in 2015.

Her appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade, Freeform’s Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Bash, and Halloween Road have solidified her place among multi-talented artists.

Beyond her uncanny resemblance to Bette Midler, McCleary is a versatile performer, showcasing her talents as an actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Her impressive resume includes choreographing productions of “The Rocky Horror Show Live” and “Once on this Island” on the Eastern Shore.

The Spy recently talked with the engaging Jennica McCleary about how she discovered her path to an entertainment career and came to embody Bette Midler’s famous Winefred character from the 1993 film “Hocus Pocus” to bewitch her audiences.

This video is approximately eight minutes in length. For more about the Garfield Center for the Arts Gala, go here.

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

‘Get On the Bus’: A Chat With Justinian Dispenza

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The movie “Get on the Bus” premiered on Wednesday, February 14 to a packed house at the Decker Theatre at Washington College’s Gibson Center for the Arts.

The hour-long production documents a six-day field trip in July 2022 by 42 Kent youths and adults who traveled to Civil Rights era landmarks in Alabama and Georgia, including the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham; the King Center in Atlanta, Edmund Pettus Bridge and National Voting Rights Museum in Selma; and the Equal Justice Initiative’s Community Remembrance Project in Montgomery.

Three years ago, Paul Tue III, CEO of Minary’s Dream Alliance, LLC, envisioned a Civil Rights Bus Tour only to have the project postponed by the Covid pandemic. The delay provided an opportunity for further planning and a co-sponsorship with the James Taylor Justice Coalition (JTJC) of Sumner Hall, transforming the bus trip into a dual mission, merging Minary’s Dream Alliance’s teaching trip with JTJC’s goal of delivering a glass container filled with soil from James Taylor’s lynching site in Chestertown to the Equal Justice Initiative Remembrance Project in Montgomery, Alabama.

Filmed by Andover Media’s Justinian Dispenza, the movie evocatively portrays the enduring impact of the Civil Rights movement on young and adult African Americans. It delves into their deep connection with a legacy of injustice and a new resonance with Dr. King’s words from a 1956 article describing the transformative power of non-violent revolutionary change: “In Montgomery, we walk in a new way. We hold our heads in a new way.”

“We watched movies about Bloody Sunday on the way down for the walk across Pettus Bridge. Walking across that bridge just put you in that place,” says Paul Tue III. “I thought about if we had been there, would we have had the courage to cross that bridge knowing what was waiting on the other side?; Would we now?”

The Spy recently talked to Justinian about his experience as the trips’ videographer and his daily engagement with fellow travelers. The Spy video starts with an introduction to Wednesday night’s premiere by Dr. Patrick Nugent.

Philip Dutton tells the Spy that another trip is being planned. To support the next “Get on the Bus” project, you can contribute through the Charles Sumner Hall website here. Note that your donation is for “Get on the Bus.”

This video is approximately five minutes in length. To see the trailer for the movie, go here . The full movie will soon be available to the public. The Spy will provide a link. For more about the Equal Justice Initiative, go here.

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

Rooted in Hope: Carole Weatherford’s Genealogical Odyssey Becomes Art

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On Saturday, February 24, The Avalon Theatre will present author Carole Boston Weatherford and son, illustrator Jeffrey Boston Weatherford, as they discuss their new book Kin: Rooted in Hope. 

Timed perfectly to celebrate Black History Month, the presentation will describe the extraordinary journey the two took as mother and son and as author and artist as they searched for the stories of their ancestors and others who lived in the constellation of their times, from Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman to the Wye House plantation.

The genesis of this project, as Carole recounts in a recent interview with the Spy, traces back to her long-standing fascination with her family’s history, a tale intertwined with the founding of Copperville and Unionville and her 250-year familial history with Talbot County.

Drawing inspiration from her own roots and fueled by a desire to explore her lineage, the award-winning author embarked on what she describes as a “genealogical quest” that ultimately evolved into a collection of poems paired with Jeffrey’s sharply delineated line drawings using a “scratch” technique of his own.

Presented as a book for middle-graders, Kin isn’t just a book for young readers; it’s a story that resonates across generations. From Carol’s poignant reflections on her ancestors’ struggles to Jeffrey’s evocative illustrations, the book serves as a tribute to the resilience and strength of their family.

KIN: Rooted in Hope was named a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book. Other books have earned her a Newberry Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, four Caldecott Honors, two NAACP Image Awards, and nine American Library Association Youth Media Awards. Her 2021 book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre was long-listed for the National Book Award.

The Spy recently talked with Carole and Jeffrey about their project.

The Weatherfords’ Avalon presentation will be held at 2 pm Saturday, February 24 and is sponsored by the Talbot County Free Library, The Country School, The Avalon Foundation, and a group of community partners: Academy Art Museum, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Dorchester County Tourism, Easton Economic Development Corporation, Frederick Douglass Honor Society, Maryland Public Television, Monica Davis, ShoreRivers, Talbot Arts, Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism, Talbot County Public Schools, Talbot Historical Society, and WHCP FM 91.7 Music Discovery & NPR for the Mid-Shore, and Dock Street Foundation. The program is free and open to all.

On Friday, February 23, at 11:30 a.m., the Dorchester County Historical Society will be hosting a conversation with the Weatherfords on the power of genealogical research in leading them back to their roots. For more information about the program, contact the Historical Society at 410-228-7953 or go to dorchesterhistory.com

This video is approximately nine minutes in length.

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

Q and A With Bookplate Author James Conaway

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James Conaway

Between the dark violence of his New Orleans saga The Big Easy and the Jungian-themed children’s book Tio and the Blue Witch James Conaway has lived the rare life of a freelance writer.

Three novels, countless news articles, and nine books of non-fiction later, Conaway is finishing up another book mentioned in Press Democrat as a “journalist’s memoir about freelancing through the long twilight of the writer’s world.”

Conaway will be the Bookplate guest author at 6 pm, Wednesday, February 7 at the Kitchen Restaurant where he will talk about his life as a freelance writer, a journey that started in his hometown of Memphis Tennessee, grew as a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford, looped through Napa Valley, and back to the East coast where he now resides in Washington, DC.

The Spy recently interviewed James Conaway by phone to talk about the current publishing world and his most recent book, Tio and the Blue Witch. Here are a few moments.

Spy: What are you seeing in the publishing world that is different from when you started out with The Big Easy?

JC: There’s huge difference. What is dismaying about publishing is that it’s changed in ways that no one could have foreseen. The main problem is big corporations who bring corporate ways and corporate sentiment or lack of suitability to the post world. There are almost no independent publishers left and the people suffer when the emphasis is entirely on profiting and not on product and standards have gone down so much now that there’s almost no comparison with what it used to look like when I started out back in the early 70s.

Spy: You wrote a perfect metaphor for corporate oversight with your books about the Napa Valley vineyards and their corporate takeovers.

JC: It’s the same thing. It’s when profit matters, not product, not quality. You pretend you know doing away with standards or replacing standards that exist with ones that are more commercial and require less or a different marketing approach because product itself is not as sound as it once was. And the public is not as discerning as it once was one.

Spy: Do you see a way out of this erosion taking place in publishing?

JC: I don’t really, because it has to do with education and demand. You know, there was a demand for good books, not just exciting books, the good ones, what were called literature. Literature today almost doesn’t exist, and we see a parallel falling off of interest in different writing that requires a lot of thought, patience, and education.  None of those things are profitable. Corporations don’t stress that; they stress what is easy and inexpensive and can be promoted to the largest audience which means not very well educated and not well read. There are parallel things with English departments disappearing. And editors today do not support writers the way they did when I was young man. It makes a huge difference.

Spy: I recently saw the movie “Genius” about Maxwell Perkins editing Thomas Wolfe. It’s interesting you mention the change in editorial relationships with writers.

JC: Editors used to be unquestionably on the writers side and I thought that would never change and boy was I wrong. because it did. I’m speaking in generalizations, but the editors, instead of champions of quality and of literature have gone in the other direction when corporations took over, even faster than the corporations. They utterly and completely embraced the notion that they were no longer editors, they were corporate players. So once you abandon the poor writer who is trying to maintain his or her own writing for the reasons that people have always written, which is to express themselves in the pursuit of excellence or, you know, art, if we can use that term—they are on their own and have no recourse.

Spy: So “Tio and the Blue Witch” seems to be a left-hand turn from your usual fare How did that book come about?

JC: It grew out of artwork I was doing in my so-called spare time. I took up oil painting while I had a job as a magazine editor in Washington—my mother was an accomplished artist— and I needed some kind of alternative to get out of that because it was my first and only time that I was an editor myself and it was kind of a bleak. And that led from one thing to another, oil painting to acrylics and then I ended up with ink. I sort of love the idea of ink as even more direct than watercolor. There are no brushstrokes in the art. It’s just making the ink run and moving it around on the paper using the blunt end of a paintbrush. I got so obsessed with it I don’t remember how I did all these pictures.

Spy: What’s the Jung connection mentioned in some the book’s reviews?

JC: I was interested in Carl Jung and his theory of archetypes which are sort of primitive symbolic characters human beings have in common, and they would show up in dreams, and I wondered if they would show up on paper, so I started dribbling ink on big watercolor sheets of paper. It was sort of whimsy and then these creatures appeared (in the ink) and I would hang them up on the wall where I was working and after a while, they started to talk to each other. The face of a one-eyed woman appeared and that was kind of scary, and she became Tio, the Blue Witch, and suddenly I had a narrator to tell the story.

The Spy looks forward to James Conaway’s talk at The Kitchen at 6 pm, Wednesday, February 7.

For more event details contact The Bookplate at 410-778-4167 or [email protected]. These events are free and open to the public. The Bookplate will continue their event series with an author lecture and tarot readings at Sultana’s Lawrence Wetlands Preserve on February 14th. Washington College professor Elizabeth O’Connor will be discussing her book about artist Pamela Coleman Smith, with skilled readers Tara Holste and Kayce Martin offering their services for both couples and individual readings. The Kitchen at the Imperial Hotel is located at 208 High Street in Chestertown, Maryland.

 

 

 

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Unveiling Political and Diplomatic Realities: A Chat with Journalists Karen Tumulty and Paul Richter

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Two big time journalists are coming to town next week.

The Bookplate author reading series —in partnership with The Kitchen and Pub—continues Wednesday, January 31 at 6 pm with Washington Post journalist and author Karen Tumulty and her husband, L.A. Times journalist and author Paul Richter.

Tumulty, known for her sharp political commentary in the Washington Post, will read from and discuss her recently published book about former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Widely reviewed as the definitive biography of Nancy Reagan, “The Triumph of Nancy Reagan” offers an astute portrait of the often controversial First Lady and the partnership with her husband during the tumultuous eight years of Ronald Reagan’s administration.

Reviewed by USA Today as “A thorough, compelling biography that underscores what was always hidden in plain sight, her Nancy is a driven, savvy, indomitable operative, a dogged domestic diplomat on behalf of her affable yet oddly remote ideologue of a husband,” Tumulty will discuss her four-years of research into Nancy Reagan’s life and her understanding of one of the most publicly enigmatic First Ladies of the 20th Century.

Paul Richter’s recent book “The Ambassadors” reflects his years of reporting on the State Department and foreign policy from the Washington, D.C., bureau of the Los Angeles Times. He has covered foreign policy and national security for over three decades. During his tenure as a Washington-based correspondent, he filed reports from sixty countries and featured in both U.S. and international media outlets.

Writing about four post 9/11 career diplomats who volunteered to work in some of the most dangerous places in the world—one losing his life during the attack on Benghazi, Libya—Richter goes behind the headlines to dispel the myth of an elitist culture among America’s ambassadors by describing the mortal—and political—pitfalls in service to their country.

Praised by Adm. William H. McRaven (retired), former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command for finally delivering “a book that captures the incredible courage, sacrifice and unwavering patriotism of the unsung heroes of the war on terrorism,” “The Ambassadors” chronicles the lives of the often over-looked diplomatic peacemakers working in treacherous locations.

The Spy recently caught up with Karen Tumulty and Paul Richter to discuss their books and current projects.

For more event details contact The Bookplate at 410-778-4167 or [email protected]. This event is free and open to the public.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length.

 

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

Kent County Schools Superintendent Dr. Couch Announces Retirement

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In a closed session of the Kent County Board of Education, Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Couch announced her decision to retire, effective June 30, 2024. The retirement was subsequently approved in the personnel report. The Spy captured her statement which she read during the public segment of the meeting.

During her almost eleven-year tenure, Dr. Couch highlighted organizational improvements and a commitment to addressing the diverse needs of students.

Achievements include pioneering universal full-day pre-K, expanding Judy early learning centers, implementing the blueprint plan, and investing in teacher training for the science of reading and Orton Gillingham methodologies. These initiatives propelled students toward proficiency in reading and mathematics.

Additionally, a comprehensive facilities Strategic Plan revitalized educational facilities, enhancing security, upgrading athletic facilities, and replacing HVAC systems.

Dr. Couch emphasized that the true measure of success lies in the students’ achievements, growth, and readiness for the future.

As Dr. Couch begins a new chapter, she expresses confidence in the district’s ability to continue nurturing and inspiring students. She reflected that her legacy is not in programs or facilities but in the lives touched.

This video is approximately four minutes in length.

 

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

Reducing Recidivism: A Chat With State’s Attorney Bryan DiGregory and Team

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Nothing begs for justice policy overhaul and innovation more than the need to reduce recidivism rates in Maryland and Kent County State’s Attorney Bryan DiGregory and his team at Kent County Comprehensive Recidivism Reduction Project (RRP) aim to do that. 

According to the non-profit incarceration research organization Prison Policy Initiative, Maryland has one of the highest per capita incarceration rates in the country, with 32,000 Marylanders currently incarcerated in State and Federal prisons and jails.

Close to half of those released will become repeat offenders and be reincarcerated within 3 years. But breaking the cycle of recidivism is a hard lift, stymied by inadequate mental health funding, lack of connection to available resources, poverty, employment, and housing issues, to name a few.

In other words, what are the options when the cell door opens?

DiGregory and RRP have undertaken a unique initiative to break the cycle of offenders returning to the justice system. With a current recidivism rate mirroring that of Maryland at approximately 45%, the county recognized the need for a comprehensive strategy to approach the problem differently—to engage offenders on a personal level.

The holistic approach acknowledges that waiting until an individual is ready to leave a detention center is too late. Instead, the prosecutor’s discretion becomes pivotal in initiating the process early on, affecting sentencing, charges, pretrial procedures, and collaboration with law enforcement. By exercising this discretion, the prosecutor can redirect cases, identifying and diverting individuals to his team at the earliest stages.

Acting as a bridge between incarceration and reentering life, RRP personally assists incarcerated and newly released people by formulating plans according to the individual’s needs. 

“What we’re finding is, when somebody comes to us or is even just being released from jail, they might not have any state-issued ID or driver’s license. They might not even have any housing. Sowe’re starting from that place with some of these folks. And then we’re working towards workforce development and adult skills, bringing them towards getting employment,” Case Manager Christine Chisolm says.

The newly implemented pilot program aligns with similar initiatives nationwide, drawing inspiration from Baltimore’s District Court Re-Entry Program (DCREP). While not a carbon copy, the Kent County project adapts and learns from these experiences, continuously refining its approach. The objective is clear for the next two years: lower recidivism 10% by coordinating efforts, integrating existing resources, and engaging the community.

The program, operational since July 2023, is an evolving model, aiming to unite disparate resources under a cohesive framework. However, the challenges are significant, primarily in ensuring all stakeholders are on the same page, fostering collaboration among diverse agencies, and educating the community about this novel approach.

Crucially, the project has received support from the public defender’s office, with ongoing collaboration to tailor paths for represented individuals. Judges play a pivotal role in accepting and implementing recommendations, contributing to the success of the initiative.

DeGregory emphasizes the need for a case-by-case assessment rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, and the project’s success hinges on the community’s active involvement, from employers to faith-based organizations, creating a supportive environment for successful reintegration.

Here are the highlights of the Spy’s conversation with State’s Attorney Bryan DiGregory, Project Manager Hope Clark, and Case Manager Christine Chisolm.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length.

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