Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Cambridge
On January 27, the Cambridge City Council heard a presentation by Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation about its plans to transform Cannery Way into a more active area, and also to rehabilitate the historic building at 428-432 Race Street. According to the plan presented, Alpha Genesis would concentrate on enhancements to the building while the City would be responsible for the Cannery Way project.
The video is approximately 9 minutes long.
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Transparency has been a controversial issue for Cambridge Waterfront Development Inc., the entity responsible for the Cambridge Harbor project. The City Council and citizens alike have complained in the past about CWDI’s opaque dealings and lack of communication with the public. So, it was appropriate, and likely inevitable, that the issue arose during the January 15th meeting of the CWDI Board of Directors at the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce.
As if anticipating this, CWDI President Angie Hengst addressed it during her opening remarks. After mentioning the December 19th groundbreaking for the Cambridge Harbor promenade, she said that the board had “talked about some planning for public information sessions throughout 2025 just to keep the public informed. Obviously, they can come to our meetings, but maybe some more specialized meetings talking about various parts of the project. But, you know, we really want to keep the public abreast of what’s going on so they feel part of the project and know where we’re headed. So we’ll be looking into planning some of those for the year and then some possible community events.”
Later, after board member Frank Narr discussed profits and losses due to last year’s litigation, the beginning of construction on the promenade, and predicted property sales, his colleague Tim Crosby inquired about the public’s involvement in decisions about the design and development of the Harbor project.
“Because it’s been two years since the public input side of this was a very active role, right?” asked Crosby. “And there are different stakeholders out here. Some are community based, some are based by ethnicity and things like that. Are we going to exert a particular effort to those communities and say, ‘Okay, look, here’s where we are. What do you think and what are we missing before we get too far down this thing?'”
“So where a particular commercial entity goes or whether residential goes or where hotel goes is still subject to a response from a developer,” Narr responded. “So, you know what the community may say, if the community says how we think of hotels here, it’s really the market’s going to kind of drive where those things go.”
Crosby agreed that the citizens can’t really have a say regarding the major parts of the project, but he said “there’s an awful lot of small pieces that can have a direct impact on certain communities that I think I just want to get out and communicate with. The more we communicate, I think the better off we are.”
Hengst then said, for the benefit of the audio recording and the citizens present, that the public is encouraged to reach out to city and county representatives with comments and concerns. “So, that’s another way for the community to voice their thoughts along the way.”
When the meeting was turned over to the public for comments, new resident Stephanie Willett pointed to Crosby’s remarks about communication and mentioned how important that is. “Passive communications, putting information out there, is not always good for a lot of minority communities. I haven’t caught up with everything that’s been going on, but to the extent that you all can get out and get into some of these communities and share your faces and show that you’re willing to be engaged with them. Relationships are very important.”
Jennie Leichtling of Mill Street, whose background is in fundraising development for nonprofit organizations, proposed that public communication can manifest itself in more ways than just talking or sending messages.
“The one thing that I am hearing a lot of is ‘if you build it, they will come,'” said Leichtling. “You need to build the community first, and you need to make sure that what you build reflects what the people want. And so, I’m hearing really responsible building stuff, everything that you guys are doing the research for, the capital investments, I think it all sounds great, wonderful. What I would propose adding in addition to this is doing kind of consistent community development and not just at meetings, but on the location.”
For “the location,” Leichtling focused on the playground next to the Visitor Center. She suggested bringing in a coffee cart or food trucks, installing picnic benches, and building a beach volleyball court.
“Because,” she said, “we need to continually invite the community to that space. Because I think the more we invite them, the more we’ll see how the community wants to use that space. Because, until we actually get the community there, we don’t really know what they’re going to actually do.”
“We’ve definitely had conversations of how we can get the community out there and start utilizing that space more, and they’re all wonderful ideas,” Hengst replied.
Since Mayor Lajan Cephas, City Commissioner Sputty Cephas, and City Manager Glenn Steckman were present at the meeting, along with several concerned citizens, one could say that communications are open and the conversation has begun. The next CWDI board meeting is March 19 at 4pm. For those interested in keeping up with the project or who want to contact CWDI, go to Cambridgeharbor.org.
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The Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN) is dedicated to encouraging and assisting community members to be good neighbors. They strive to enhance the safety, quality of life, and well-being of Cambridge’s residents as well as promote code-compliant housing, social events, and community involvement in the city. CAN is open to both renters and homeowners, and newcomers are invited to join and help make Cambridge an even better place to live. Anyone interested can find out more at cambridgecan.org.
CAN President Chuck McFadden recently sat down to tell the Spy about the organization’s origins and plans going forward. (His answers have been edited for length.)
How did CAN get started?
Well, I joined the old civic association, the West End Civic Association, WECA. And they were kind of dying out, and I tried to get some things going and had some disagreement with some of the board members.
You remember when this was?
2016.
Oh, okay. So, it’s pretty recent.
Right. And there was a long time and work. They’ve done some really nice stuff. They used to do a walk on High Street and explain all the history of High Street, but they were getting older and were not into “come-heres.” Okay, so they liked it “from here.” So anyway, after some frustration, there I was, standing out on my lawn across the street. I used to live right across the street, and talking to Judd Vickers and Dave Thatcher and Roman Jesien. And, on the lawn, we decided to start a new association, and Roman came up with the name Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods, CAN.
So, that’s how we started, and the idea that we originally started with was just to try to develop neighborhood feelings within different blocks of the West End and try to organize the blocks into neighborhoods so people would know each other and then try to help each other out and just be nice. We helped people take down a fence, we took down a shed, we painted a porch, stuff like that, trying to help out our neighbors. And we used to do a big summer CAN Jam down at Long Wharf. And that all was a nice feeling. And it was definitely Ward 1 focused. And then COVID hit, so we couldn’t have big group gatherings, we couldn’t get together.
Everything was the Zoom meetings. And we evolved during that, into more of a organization that reported on what was going on. So, we report on the City Council, County Council, [Historic Preservation Commission], school board, planning and zoning, number of government stuff. So, that function that we do there is pretty well received, and people like knowing what’s going on with the different government stuff. We also advocate for different positions, especially in the zoning and code enforcement area. People don’t feel like they’re getting a response from the city, they contact us and we get involved and try to see what we can do.
What do you do?
Well, we contact the city and try to put pressure on, and we have a fair success rate in getting the city’s attention. We have gotten the city’s attention several times at board council meetings and stuff like that. We have flooded the council building with people. So, instead of just one person speaking, when they see 20, 25 people, it’s a different look. But it’s a pressure technique that only works once in a while. You have to be careful in using that. You’d rather just have conversations with the city officials and say, “You know, why don’t we do this and that?” So, it’s important to us to get the feel of what our members want. We have over 800 email addresses and we figure over 1100 members’ emails. Like this household: there’s only one email, but there’s my wife and I. So we’re figuring around 1100. I think that’s conservative, probably higher than that that we reach.
And I think one of the things people like is that we do it through email. So, we contact them through their email and they can either look at it or not. But part of the problem the city has getting the information out is they don’t have a vehicle like they used to have in the past. So, they put it on the website, but nobody knows where it is on the website. Nobody knows it’s posted. They’re trying to make an announcement, but nobody knows it’s there. So, how do they get it out? Cambridge is 13,000 people. Four to 5000, maybe a little bit more, are children. So, seven, 8000 adults are trying to get to and how do you do that?
Is the format of your meetings different than when you were starting? How did you do it when you started out?
Well, we would have members’ meetings and we would invite the mayor or a council person or the police chief to speak, somebody of interest. We’ve had the superintendent of schools, we’ve had Larry White, who’s doing the Shoreline Resiliency Project. We’ve had a number of people more than once to talk about their projects or their area of interest or what’s going on or what the future holds. And that’s received fairly well, although we would like more attendance and, as you’ve been to many a meeting, we could use more people there. I’ve pondered about, with as many members that we have, why can’t we get more active participation at members’ meeting? We’d like to get more people at the meeting and we’d like to get a more diverse crowd at the meeting.
Like, more than just Ward 1.
Well, yeah, but in terms of race. [Cambridge] is 50-50 and we’re not getting 50-50. An interesting thing happened. We used to charge $20 a year to be a member when we first started out and we hovered around 60 to 80 members. And then we decided to drop the membership fee and, as you can tell by the numbers, that was worthwhile. We really increased our membership and contributions. We ended up about the same as and we don’t spend a lot of money.
What do you use the money on?
Well, meetings and stuff, advertising the meetings, filming the meetings. We had to rent any room space when the library closed down. So, that kind of stuff. So, we’d like to get more diversity. An interesting thing is that we used to be primarily in Ward 1. Now we’ve got a lot of members in the outlying section, the new area next to Long Wharf and all around. And we’ve done some stuff. In fact, the last city manager put $15,000 in the budget to fix little things that we brought up. We went down to him for Blackwater Landing, behind the Dollar General Store, and they wanted a fence put in and they couldn’t get the city to pay attention. We went down and talked to the city manager and he agreed to put a fence in and he said he wished he’d done more about it because it really didn’t get to him, the request. So, he put 15,000 in the budget for stuff like that. The people brought it to the attention, not just CAN, but anybody bringing stuff that they had a little flexibility to do, minor stuff, you know, okay, which we thought that was listening to the public.
So, what other activities is CAN involved with?
Well, we’ve got several subgroups. We have one on [Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc] that follows what they’re doing and trying to dig in and figure out what’s going on there. We have another subgroup that’s concerned about Cannery Park and what’s happening and not happening there. And I just met with the city manager on the marina committee.
So, what are CAN’s plans for 2025?
Well, right now we’re in the process of developing our priorities. We had a meeting in December to talk about priorities, and what came up was One, the publication of minutes is the most important issue that we do the reporting on. CWDI was Two, code enforcement issues is Three. And then it gets a little difficult because it depends on how many people we have to work on it. And we got some people working on the Cannery Way, which is a wonderful project. And there’s money for Cannery Park and the bike trail, but there’s not an overall concept. So, we’d like to come up with ideas. It could be a very nice project. So, CAN would like to get involved and get some issues going there. And of course, Cambridge Harbor. CAN was very opposed to the Y[MCA] moving down there. We had a survey, we had 680-some people respond to the survey. 85% were opposed to going down. And the main reason, the nonprofit going into what everybody considers the economic engine of the city. This should generate money through taxes and stuff, and you’re putting a nonprofit right in the middle of it.
Second, they were concerned about what was going to happen to the vacant school building where the Y is now. That’s the two big ones. But then you have the other ones like the safety issue of people getting to the Y, especially the youth. It’s right on the edge of the city instead of in the middle of the city. So, we’re very opposed to that. We’re opposed to building a 125-foot slip marina in there, which would be in direct competition with the city marina, which right now is only at 60% capacity. So it’s like, what were the city planners thinking? And the answer to that is there was one project at a time. There needs to be overall planning going on for the city. And it’s that feeling of frustration that our members have given us that we try to pass on to the city. I mean, I just met with the city manager yesterday and talked about exactly that. You need overall planning of what the city’s going to do.
What are your hopes for the future of CAN?
We’d like to see more diversity. And one of those things we’re going to be working on next year is how do we find out what people want and what they don’t want. It’s a difficult thing. And you know as a reporter, you get people who speak out, you can hear those opinions, but you don’t know what everybody wants. And I think CAN is probably one of the better methods of getting. So we have the capability of doing very sophisticated surveys and you can’t overuse that. But we’d like to use it more to get people’s temperature on different topics. A woman, Kim Miller, who is taking over as secretary, has a statistical background and knows how to do surveys and knows how to read the surveys more importantly when they come in and how to do the questions so you get the answers that you’re looking for.
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Last summer, the Brooklyn Museum was trying to open up more gallery spaces for its collections. As part of that effort, the New York stalwart decided to sell a holding known as the Trippe House interior in order to raise funds. This raised the alarm of the Maryland Historic Trust.
The Trippe House, also called “Carthegena” and “My Lady Sewall’s Manor,” is a circa 1690 brick house in Secretary, Maryland. Around 1730, Henry Trippe III sought to mark his prominence in Dorchester County by adorning the home with elaborate wood paneling and an ornate staircase. The Trippe Rooms, as they came to be known, included 704 square feet incorporating three first-floor rooms of paneling–a Great Hall, parlor, and stair hall.
Cut to 1917, when the Brooklyn Museum bought the interiors. For 107 years, the Trippe Rooms were displayed among historic architectural interiors from the 17th to 19th centuries. Through preservation and interpretation, millions of visitors had the opportunity to learn about the history of Trippe House’s occupants and the objects they possessed.
Just a week before the scheduled auction in summer 2024, Elizabeth Hughes, Maryland State Historic Preservation Officer and Director of the MHT, got in touch with the Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance, which manages the Handsell Historic Site in Dorchester County. NHPA was informed of the exciting chance to acquire Trippe House’s architectural treasures. With an emergency grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority and donations from descendants of the Trippe family and NHPA supporters, funds were quickly raised to make a hopeful bid for the items.
Then, on the eve of the auction, the Brooklyn Museum recognized the NHPA’s intent to bring the woodwork back to its original county and offered the materials directly to the group. It was an extraordinary moment for historic preservation on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
“We are delighted that the Trippe House interiors are returning to Maryland, where their history and significance will resonate deeply with the local community,” said Catherine Futter, the Brooklyn Museum’s director of Curatorial Affairs and senior curator of Decorative Arts.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reconnect the Trippe House with its history and ensure that these artifacts remain accessible to the public,” said Midge Ingersoll, Vice President of NHPA. “The return of the Trippe House interiors is not only a victory for historic preservation but also a testament to the power of collaboration and community.”
The interiors will not return to Trippe House, which is now used as a rectory and offices by Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. But they will be just 13 miles away from their original site, installed in a prominent place at NHPA’s forthcoming Three Cultures Center on the Handsell property. Construction on the Center, a barn-inspired structure that will serve as an educational and cultural hub, is to start this year. The Trippe rooms will form a performance and meeting space and house NHPA’s offices, permitting visitors and students to experience 18th-century craftsmanship firsthand.
Futter expressed that the artifacts’ “new home at the Three Cultures Center will ensure that future generations can continue to explore and celebrate the rich cultural and architectural heritage of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”
“The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority was honored to play a part in returning the Trippe House period rooms to Dorchester, MD,” said Rebecca Flora, Maryland Department of Planning Secretary and MHAA Chair. “This unique piece of our state’s history amplifies the architectural history and stories of the Eastern Shore and shines a light on the valuable resources that can be found in the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area. Maryland is grateful to the Brooklyn Museum for their care of these rooms over the past 100+ years and their commitment to returning them back to their home state.”
Additional history of Handsell and the Trippe House as well as plans for the Three Cultures Center can be found at restorehandsell.org. The Handsell Historic Site is located at 4837 Indiantown Rd, Vienna, off the Route 331 Exit of Route 50. When Handsell house is closed, a self-guided cellphone audio tour is available on site 7 days weekly during daylight hours. Donations to help support Handsell Site Development and the building of the Three Cultures Center can be made here.
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Jameson Harrington once wrote, “I have a passion for helping people and I’m not one to say no when someone asks me to lend a hand. Wanting to address the many problems my neighbors and friends in Cambridge face every day is what has pushed me to work in local government.” So, he ran for the Cambridge City Council four years ago and became the commissioner for Ward 3. However, following his one term, he decided not to seek another.
An Eastern Shore native, Harrington graduated from Easton High School in 2006 and then attended Salisbury University, where he studied Geographic Information Systems and Urban Planning. He is now at an engineering firm where he works with drones and uses information technology to solve problems. In his spare time he enjoys immortalizing the beauty of Cambridge through photography, which he also uses to support local businesses and events.
Recently, the Spy gave him the opportunity to speak his mind on a number of subjects, especially politics and government.
Tell me your positives of being on the City Council.
Let’s see. Honestly, it’s a great experience just to learn how local governance works. You would think most people would be already involved in that kind of thing or be on committees beforehand. But honestly, you’re not going to learn everything you need to learn in four years anyway, so it doesn’t matter. … So, it was interesting to me just to learn those things and then I apply them at the state level or federal level and helps me understand those things better. But also it’s just being part of your community and giving back, too. I’ve used it as more of a volunteer position than anything else because you get $10,000 a year. You don’t do it for the money, you have to give back. … It’s also nice to be able to use your skills and talents that you have to piggyback onto the give-back question or the answer in a positive way outside of your work environment.
How did your skills come into use on the City Council?
So, I was on the technology committee and, since I handle IT at work, some of those skills transferred over. One of the things, our focus on the technology committee was to replace some of our existing software and bring it up to more modern-day software that, you know, all the departments talk to each other. That way our code enforcement can now do tickets in the field much easier. Things like that, it’s streamlined and it’s like a force multiplier.
Back in June you told the Star Democrat that you had made your decision not to run again two years ago and that politics is not your forte. Did anything specific happen two years ago to bring you to that decision?
Part of it was I went through some health stuff. I had some major surgery and that kind of changed my perspective on things a little bit. Life is short, you know, and it’s, I’d rather be on the other side of the podium. I guess there’s still a lot of good you can do even if you’re not an elected official. Just volunteering for different things, paying attention, actually showing up to the meeting and asking questions. I mean, there’s just so many different ways that you can participate or give back or work with your community to make it better.
You also told the Star Democrat that “in politics I’ve dealt with a lot of people that want to make Cambridge a better place to live only for themselves.” Can you elaborate on that?
I don’t think this is just true of local politics. You see it all the way up. It’s not an easy job. When you are truly committed to making where you live a better place, you get frustrated easily because you want these things to happen. … Like I said, it’s a volunteer position. It’s stressful and I can understand why people with the skill sets to do this kind of stuff with the mindset… I think the job is more attractive to people that can get something out of it for themselves. It attracts people that aren’t wholly altruistic in their motives. Because, honestly, $10,000 a year. As a young person it’s hard to juggle, too. I mean, unless you’re retired, you’re sacrificing work time, family time in the evenings, and sometimes it feels like it’s for naught. So, I can see why it attracts the people it does.
You said one of the things you’re most proud of that the Council accomplished in your term was Tom Carroll’s hiring. How did you feel about the circumstances around his exit?
It was disappointing. I can understand his reasoning, but we thought we had someone skilled, talented, has worked in similar communities with similar demographics and we thought someone that was going to be here for the long haul. It’s very disappointing that he left, but at the same time we also got our assistant city manager Brandon Hesson out of having Tom here, as well, and he’s been a real blessing. He knows the city, he’s great with people, smart as a whip. We’re lucky to have him.
You endorsed Andrew Bradshaw for mayor this year despite the scandal he went through. Can you tell me why?
Simply put, most of all of my decisions are what’s best, I think, for Cambridge. That’s it. I think he would have been the better person, at least from a governance standpoint, to run the city. To be perfectly blunt, and I’ve told him this as well, I’d prefer neither one of them to be mayor. I wish we’d had other options.
So, there was an argument on Facebook, under one of Laurel Atkiss’s posts on the group Operation: Destination Cambridge, November 27th, where you got into an argument with Dion Banks about criticizing someone’s campaign activities. And I was surprised, considering how laid back you seem to be, how angry you got in that. And I was wondering, is that something you would have done if you had run for re-election?
That’s a good question. Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to say because I haven’t had that mindset for a while. Obviously, at least towards the end, you get more comfortable in the seat with how you can act, and you’re not always scared to engage by the end of the term. And I was just acting as me myself, not an elected official. And that’s my personal account. And frankly, I saw a lot of things and we’ve heard a lot of things that just made me uncomfortable about some of the campaigns.
What city-related activities will you do now that your term is over? I suppose you’ll continue to volunteer.
Yeah, one of my favorite things is a trash clean-up. As simple as that sounds, it gets people out together. They get to talk, you get to know your neighbors a little bit better. You get exercise and you get a clean neighborhood, and that sends a signal. Other people might not be participating, but they’ll also see that and think, “Hey, maybe I shouldn’t throw my can out the street.” I mean, people actually care. It’s like low-hanging fruit like that that I really think is a big benefit to places like Cambridge.
You’ll continue doing your photography, because you like to take pictures of Cambridge.
Oh yeah, absolutely. Cambridge is a beautiful town with interesting people, interesting history. I almost brought my camera with me today on my walk here. That’s something I’d like to spend more time doing now that my mind is a little bit more free.
When did you get into photography?
Off and on since probably high school. That would have been 2006.
Did you train in doing it?
No, no, just all on my own. Keep going, keep practicing. I mean, for every 100 pictures you take, you might get an unbelievable one. It’s just practice, practice, practice, and trusting your own eye. You know, “Hey, I don’t like that, so I’m not going to post it. Someone else might like it, but it’s not for me.”
What do you love about Cambridge?
It’s always felt more like home to me than Easton, where I grew up. I work in Easton. I go there every day. And it just, it’s not the town I grew up with. That town’s gone. But Cambridge still feels a little like, you know, that time where I was growing up, and it feels like home. I mean, people are friendly, it’s walkable. It’s got character.
You told the Star Democrat that you hope Cambridge is “still on the up and up” in five years. Are you optimistic about that at this point?
Yes and no. Depends on what aspects we’re talking about. I think the city as an organization has really grown in the past four years. And I think it’s going to continue to become a more responsive organization to the residents in the city. There was a lot of mess when we walked in there four years ago. And we’ve changed city managers several times, but they’ve also all kind of left their mark a little bit, too. Tom made some improvements, now Glenn is continuing on in those improvements. Brandon’s, like I said, been instrumental in a lot of things, especially code enforcement. Yeah, I think there’s a lot of good there. And I think, you know, I look at downtown and it seems like there’s more shops open than there were when I moved here in 2011, 2012. I think it seems a lot more vibrant. I see more people walking around. You see these little changes here and there, too. It’s nice.
Anything else you want to reflect on as far as your participation in Cambridge publicly?
I just encourage people to be involved. You know, Doctor [Theresa] Stafford was somebody that scared me many times. I felt intimidated by her. And that’s okay. I think people, the council members sitting up there should be afraid sometimes, should be uncomfortable with questions that are asked. Because, if no one’s asking questions, what’s the point? I think the city needs more people to step up and be involved, be an active participant in your local government.
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The Quality Courts Motel at US 50 and Sunburst Highway boasted the “finest in dining and accommodations” with a restaurant, pool, and cocktail lounge. It offered 60 rooms with individually controlled air conditioning and heat, color TV, phones, and wall-to-wall carpeting. Also, it was within sight of the old Phillips Packing Plant.
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
In the December 3rd runoff to succeed Steve Rideout as Cambridge’s next mayor, City Council President Lajan Cephas beat former mayor Andrew Bradshaw with 53% of the vote. Cephas will become the city’s second Black woman mayor when she is sworn in at the new city council’s first session in January.
The race was a contentious one. The Maryland Democratic Party took the unusual step of publicly supporting Cephas, claiming the Republicans backed Bradshaw, who had resigned as mayor in 2022 after a year in office due to criminal charges that later led to conviction. Mayor Rideout came out for Cephas, while two of her colleagues on the city council endorsed Bradshaw.
With the election over, Cambridge native Cephas, a former business owner and correctional officer who now sells insurance, is already taking on the duties of mayor since Rideout’s early retirement. She spared a few minutes to speak with the Spy about her future in office.
How are you feeling since the election?
I am relieved that it is over because that was a really ugly process, and I don’t like to be a part of anything that’s negative. I’m more like a get-it-done type of person. I’m not all about all the extras and I just felt like that was a little bit too extra.
To what do you attribute your win?
I attribute it to the work that we’ve done with the current city staff. Also my leadership as the Commission president, also during the time that I had to act with the powers of mayor. And then I think I also attribute it to the other candidate had his opportunity, and he didn’t do his best with that opportunity. So, I believe that’s what contributed to the win.
What in your background helped you to become mayor?
Everything. Yeah. So, for more than 20 years, I’ve worked in business management. I’ve worked with many different types of people having to do outreach while still having to run a business at the same time. And I’ve worked in many cities from San Diego, California, from Baltimore City, from obviously Cambridge, Salisbury, even did some work in Delaware. So, just dealing with different types of people, like having conversations, and having to understand what is the challenge so we can overcome it. I know that’s definitely the advantage that provided me, and also the experience, as far as me being in this role of mayor and also the Commission president, because it’s really the business of people. So, if you understand people, you can do anything. You can work in customer service. You could be a mayor, you could be a pastor of a church and, if you’re able to connect with people, you could be successful at just about anything.
How do you feel about the low voter turnout in this election?
I think the low voter turnout, I think it is close to the average based off my understanding of it, based off what our research is. About maybe 15% of voters tend to turn up for local elections. In our case it was less than that. I think it was more like around 11 to 12%. My math could be a little off. But a lot of people, they’re workers, they have children, you know, they have day-to-day life that they’re trying to figure out, are they’re going to have money to pay that next bill. So, the last thing on a lot of people’s minds is taking time off from work so they can vote. Maybe they couldn’t get off. Maybe they’re working a 12-hour shift. So, I try to focus less on who did not show up and focus more on who did show up. And I greatly appreciate those who were able to make that time because it’s a huge sacrifice, showing up in the line, not knowing what the process is going to be, you know, it gives anxiety. [In an email later, she wrote, “I believe voter turnout in Cambridge was just about 15%, which is around the national average. There was a total of 1484 total voters in the past mayoral election and about 9,000 registered voters in the city of Cambridge.”]
What are your ambitions and goals for 2025?
The goal for 2025 is to continue to move the city forward. I think initially we need to get a few committees or commissions together to do some asset mapping to figure out what do we have, because we have a lot of folks that say we need something for the kids to do. But online I see this program, basketball, I see after-school program at the Boys and Girls Club. It looks like we have a lot of programming for the youth. So, it’s a matter of looking at the nonprofits we have and figuring out what is the best strategy to have the best outcomes.
How do you understand the mayor’s role?
I see the mayor’s role as a neutral voice willing to listen to all parties and all sides. I see someone that should be accessible to the public. It really shouldn’t spend much time here in this office. So what I plan to do, because this week there is an actual mayor’s office in City Hall, I hope to share it with my fellow commissioners just in case if they need to have a meeting with someone in private. But it’s not my plan to be in this office. My plan is to be out in the public, available to be going to events and then obviously networking with our federal and state delegation so we can bring some funding back to the city. So I think that’s the main thing, to be that networker. And of course, as far as actual responsibilities, the mayor chairs the Commissioners of Cambridge meeting and I believe the mayor also chairs the Police Advisory Board.
Are you still going to have any role with Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc (CWDI)?
Absolutely. So, my plan is to attend every meeting. That’s absolutely the plan, but we are in the process of changing the Articles of Incorporation. Now, I probably won’t have that ability of voting on that because I think more than likely that’s going to come before the next council. … How it stands right now is the mayor is the sole member, which would lead one to believe that if you’re the mayor, you have total authority over this board or this or this commission or body of people that’s put in place to ensure the waterfront development happens. So, how it’s drafted now pending the approval of the next commission is there will be three members. The Commissioners of Cambridge serve as one member. You have the County Council serving as another member. And then you have our state delegation, which means our state delegates and senator, they would be that third member, which would make it more fair and more balanced for everyone in this community and also in the Lower Shore and the Mid-Shore community as well.
What issues in the city need to be addressed?
What needs to be addressed in the city is definitely code enforcement. And don’t get me wrong, they’re doing a really great job. It’s just we’ve been behind for many years. There’s a document that was actually put together by the League of Women Voters back in 1969. It was a housing study and there were challenges and code enforcement at that time. So, I will say that we are making great leaps. We actually have, I think, more code enforcement now than we’ve had in a very long time. But I think that it’s important that we actually provide money in the budget for an additional code enforcement officer because eventually it’s extremely important that we get to internal inspections of rental properties to ensure our residents have the best and safest residences as possible.
I had read that that was an inspiration for you, that 1969 report.
It’s a lot of good information. Like, the same neighborhoods, the same homes, even Calvin Mowbray Park, it talked about how members in the Council, how they were. So, how it was supposed to have been arranged was that apartment community was supposed to spread out throughout the city. I believe every three to five blocks there, there was supposed to be a duplex. But many members in the community felt like, “I don’t want that in my neighborhood.” So, that’s why we ended up with all these condensed communities of poverty.
Describe your ideal future for Cambridge.
My ideal future of Cambridge is where we’re working efficiently. You know, every child has the opportunity of going home to a safe, clean home without distraction so they can be their best person when they get to school. I see opportunities for our youth when they graduate high school, because college isn’t the pathway for every student. You know, there could be an opportunity right here at City Hall. There could be opportunities for someone graduating high school to be an entrepreneur. So, that’s what I see. I see efficient city services. I see our taxpayers feeling like their money is being spent in the right direction. They don’t feel ripped off, because we have many that feel like, “When I’m paying county taxes and I’m paying city taxes, what exactly am I getting from the city?” So, I just see services that we all could be proud of and residents that feel like, “You know what, I’m glad I live here in Cambridge.”
Your role as the mayor is going to be different from when you were on the City Council. Your influence is going to be different. So, why did you decide to run for mayor instead of staying on the Council?
I truly believe we should always make pathways for other leaders. And I know Shay Cisco had a vision of being a commissioner, and I did not want to be one to hold her from that vision. If she felt like that’s her next step in life, I was willing to make that sacrifice just so she could be a candidate and actually see if she could earn the vote of the Ward 2 residents to make that happen. And then the other thing was I knew Mayor Steve Rideout had no intentions of running for mayor, and I didn’t know of anyone else that could run that was so heavily involved with local city government. So, it was a no-brainer for me. It was a no-brainer for me to create an opportunity for Shay Cisco and also for anyone else who decided to run for Ward 2. And then to give me the opportunity to be this voice of unison for the whole city. Because I’ve done the work before, when the other person resigned because of his personal situation. But to actually give it everything, give a full four years and actually be elected and actually earn that role.
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There are only a few days left till Christmas, and a festive feeling is in the air in this progressive city of 8,000 people. Word is that Guy Watkins and Paul Lake, both of whom attend Strayer’s Business College in Baltimore, are in town to spend the holidays with their respective parents on Choptank Avenue and Locust Street. Solon Hooper is also home from Washington College, much to the delight of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Hooper.
Meanwhile, poor Lee Bespitch cut his hand badly yesterday while cutting holly in the country. Fortunately, Dr. Thomas Coll was able to fix things with just a few stitches. Little Lee might have saved himself the trouble if he’d just gotten his folks to call George W. Williams, who has the finest Christmas trees, holly, and moss available locally.
Sadly, some things cannot be mended so easily. We were forced to say goodbye this week to one of the best known men in this county, the prominent businessman Hubert H. Wright, who succumbed to injuries sustained when he was thrown from his motorcycle on the state road. He was a pioneer of the automobile business in the area, and he will be greatly missed this Christmas.
On a brighter topic, it’s been suggested that all sensible citizens conduct their gift shopping as soon as possible. They’ll have more time, stocks will be larger, and selections will be more easily made and satisfactory. Everywhere in town is the evidence of the merchants’ preparations for the Christmas trade, including beautifully decorated windows with fine products on display. One of the most attractive windows belongs to LeCompte’s Shoe Shop, which has recently been fitted with drapery curtains.
Indeed, Cambridge stores never looked better, and there is no indication of dullness in business circles as automobiles are lined up on every street and hundreds of persons throng the sidewalks. Clearly the public appreciates being able to buy at home more cheaply than elsewhere.
And what a selection! Phillips Hardware Co. alone offers hand painted China, silverware, pearl handle pocket knives, cut glass, buggies, harnesses, and “toys, toys, toys.” M. Warren Hooper is the headquarters for books, games, and novelties at “rock bottom” prices. John F. Willis & Son has children’s shoes, house slippers, suspenders, neckties, and mufflers; plus, they’re giving away a very pretty and instructive 1914 calendar featuring a picture of the Panama Canal. Get a wicker rocking chair at LeCompte & Harper, or go to McCready’s for a smoking jacket (a sensible gift any man will appreciate). But, if you’re going to smoke, you’ll need cigars, cigarettes, and pipes like those available at the candy dealer C.R. Corkran on Maryland Avenue, near the train depot.
For holiday parties, food is a necessity, which is why Young’s Choptank Grocery carries a full, fresh line for breakfast, lunch, or tea. Yates Bros. has everything from fruits to mixed nuts as well as all the ingredients for cake making. If you’re short on time, Mrs. John Nichols stands ready to take your order for a first-class, homemade Christmas cake. Speaking of cake, thoughtful young Henry Taitt promised to leave one under his stocking for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Ah, yes, the children’s letters to Santa. This year, kids have asked for practical things such as raincoats, umbrellas, pencils, and tool sets, plus more fun stuff like dolls, go carts, drums, lockets, cowboy (or Indian) suits, bicycles, and the popular devil-in-the-bandbox. All three Langrall boys want a pop-gun, as does Wheatley Cook, who isn’t even old enough to write.
Levi B. Phillips, Jr., conscientiously told Santa, ‘I hope you will not think this is too much for a good little boy like me.” But the more brazen Burgoyne Cannon wrote, “I will expect of you all I ask for, as I always do get it.” And Orville Stewart was more diplomatic when he suggested to Mr. Claus, “If you will bring me these things, I will try to be a good boy until after Christmas is over.”
Most of the children noted in their letters that they were at least trying to be good, including Calvin Twilley, who promised he does “not say any bad words.” Thomas and Dorsey Potter admitted they are good boys “sometimes,” while Russell Stewart thinks he is a good boy, but that Santa had better ask his mother. Rosa Lee Evans, however, insisted she is “a right good girl,” and Beulah Fitzhugh that she is “a good baby”(!)
The young ones also have a few alternative requests for Santa. For example, Lindley Meekins implores him not to come down his chimney, “because Papa is very sick, and it might make him worse.” Instead, they will leave the front door unlocked. And Elizabeth Gore wishes to go home with Santa for a small time, if he can bring her back home before Christmas morning.
Gosh, if Santa meets every demand made upon him this year, he will probably have to dispense with his reindeer and sleigh in favor of an airship so he can make several trips from the North Pole! Be that as it may, Cambridge is ready for him and for everyone who wishes to celebrate Christmas in a grand way.
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Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc, recently ratified three new members to its volunteer Board of Directors. They are Natalie Chabot and Gaver Nichols, both appointed by the City to fill the seats of Rich Zeidman and Dion Banks; and Tim Crosby, appointed by the County to succeed Jeff Powell. The Spy asked these three a few questions about their qualifications for the positions and their views on the Cambridge Harbor project. But first, a little of their background.
Cambridge native Natalie Chabot attended Allegany College of Maryland and is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Maryland. She served as the Director of Economic Development with the City of Cambridge from 2008 to 2015, and she was the Director of Tourism in Caroline, Dorchester, and Alleghany Counties. She has been active on the boards of the Dorchester Center for the Arts, Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area, Sailwinds Park, Inc., Maryland Life Magazine, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and the Maryland Coalition of Heritage Areas. She was instrumental in the formation of a non-profit organization to support the mission of Dorchester County’s heritage area and obtained more than $1.2 million in grant funds for the tourism program.
A graduate of Catholic University, architect and planner Tim Crosby is the principal owner and CEO of Crosby & Associates AIA, LLC. He was also the founder and director of The Delmarva Rural Laboratory, Inc. He has over 40 years of experience planning and designing Historic Preservation, Residential, Institutional, Educational, Mixed Use, Life Science, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology facilities. In an interview, County Council President Lenny Pfeffer said that Crosby is very familiar with the community and that he will “represent the true feelings of the citizens of Dorchester County.”
Virginia Tech grad Gaver Nichols is a licensed architect in several states, certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and a member of the Northern Virginia American Institute of Architects. He has served on the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions Board of Directors since 2021. His firm, Gaver Nichols Architect, focuses on additions and renovations to homes and buildings. It was named a top designer in the American Residental Design Awards by the American Institute of Building Design. Cambridge City Council President Lajan Cephas said Nichols’ experience with the local Board of Zoning Appeals will give CWDI the advantage of understanding what’s expected when it comes to zoning.
What was your motivation for joining the CWDI board?
CHABOT: I choose to live here and care deeply about the future of our community. Cambridge is a unique, authentic, historic town. The waterfront, which is the highly visible front door to Cambridge, obviously provides tremendous opportunity. It is such an important asset that can have an impressive, positive impact on the city.
CROSBY: I believe that the Cambridge Harbor is the most important development project in Dorchester County. I was motivated to seek appointment to the board because I believe that, in some small way, I can have a positive impact on how this project will be planned and executed.
NICHOLS: Cambridge is a little town that needs some help.
Why do you think you were chosen for the board?
CHABOT: I was the former City of Cambridge Economic Development director. The waterfront was the top priority project we focused on as a team and the city was able to obtain the property from the State at that time. Discussions with the hospital also started back then on the possibility of relocating their facilities. We were able to leverage millions of dollars in grants to initiate the restoration of the deteriorating wharf. That was the first phase of the overall waterfront redevelopment. I also served on the Sailwinds board (the original waterfront management nonprofit) from the time I was hired as director of Dorchester County Tourism & Chesapeake Country Heritage Area. So, I have somewhat of an expansive knowledge, history, and significant connections with this project.
CROSBY: I believe that I was chosen for this position because of my 45 years of practice as an architect and planner.
NICHOLS: One of the reasons I’m on the board is I’m an architect, which I think was a missing skillset.
What are your expectations for the future of the board and your tenure on it?
CHABOT: There is a strong, experienced group of individuals on the board. CWDI has clearly worked hard over the last several years, attempting to keep this project moving forward. My expectation is for the directors to work cohesively together in conjunction with the local private and public sector partners, as well as at the state level. In the past, we found it’s a crucial approach to have many partners engaged and enthusiastic about the project. This type of development takes a coordinated effort with many stakeholders and resources to achieve the successes that the community wants.
CROSBY: My expectations for the future of the board is that it will continue to be committed to CWDI’s primary mission; “To develop Cambridge Harbor in partnership with the community to the benefit of the community, and to sustainably operate and maintain Cambridge Harbor.”
NICHOLS: We’re trying to solve problems at the board.
Are you committed to CWDI’s transparency with the city and county councils and the people of Cambridge?
CHABOT: Absolutely.
CROSBY: Yes.
NICHOLS: I mentioned to the city council, “I’m your representative on the board.”
Are you optimistic about the Cambridge Harbor project?
CHABOT: Yes, of course. As we continue to build and maintain a strong working relationship with our partners, we can set a course for success. This is an extremely challenging initiative for our community, with many complicating factors. It has taken time, and it will take more time. However, I believe in Cambridge’s future and the value of this process. I believe we will all enjoy the various elements of the waterfront development concept, if we all work together.
CROSBY: Very optimistic.
NICHOLS: I’m very, very optimistic about the board. I wouldn’t be there otherwise. It’s pretty exciting, actually.
How do you plan to work to bring in businesses?
CHABOT: My understanding is that we will be improving upon some key organizational issues first. Once those items are finalized, I trust the board will be ready to take a new approach and address any identified areas of concern.
CROSBY: I will work with the leadership of the board in any way they see that I could help with bringing in new business.
When will ground be broken for construction at Cambridge Harbor?
CHABOT: Actually, there’s some good news, preliminary construction of the Promenade which extends from the wharf around the waterfront and down along Franklin Street has begun. A groundbreaking ceremony for the promenade extension will be held next month (December 19th).
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The traditional image of a family Thanksgiving meal includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with butter, green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup, buttered biscuits, and pie made with eggs and milk. It’s all food full of animal ingredients. So, is there any room at the Thanksgiving table for vegans, who ethically eat nothing containing animal products?
Absolutely.
I say this from experience, being a vegan myself. Sure, there were times in the past when Thanksgiving dinner with relatives could be a challenge for me, but not these days. In fact, it doesn’t have to be a problem for anyone. There are not only lots of ready-made products in the supermarket that can replace the classic fare, but there are literally hundreds of creative recipes for sumptuous dishes that will make you forget about the turkey entirely.
Why vegan Thanksgiving?
One reason to eat a vegan meal, or even just substitute certain foods, is to save a bird. Turkeys are gentle, social creatures who form strong bonds and show affection to their feathered fellows and humans they trust. They’re curious and inquisitive and like to explore. They enjoy music and often sing along. They purr like cats when petted. Their personalities are as varied as humans. So, give one a break, eh?
There are also health benefits to a vegan diet. They include reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and some cancers. You can improve your digestion and lower blood pressure. Anyone who thinks vegans aren’t healthy can rest assured. My mother is 71 and doesn’t look it.
So, what is there to eat?
Someone on the vegan section of Reddit asked, “What do you guys eat for Thanksgiving?” Someone else responded, “I still make everything I used to make…but now it’s vegan.”
If you want the traditional dishes, there are vegan versions of them all: green bean casserole (with veggie broth, mushrooms, and coconut milk), mashed potatoes (with plant-based butter), gravy (made with mushrooms or caramelized onions), bread stuffing, and even pumpkin pie (with almond milk and egg substitute). Trust me, you won’t know the difference.
But you can broaden your fare with other favorites, such as vegan meatballs, vegan meatloaf, vegan macaroni and cheese, and vegan cheesecake. For more exotic dishes, try brown-sugar BBQ whole-roasted cauliflower, butternut squash curry, roasted beet salad with horseradish-cashew cream, pumpkin soup with Thai red curry paste and lemongrass, Owamni sweet potatoes with maple-chile crisp, or nutty Baklava pie.
The Main Course
“That’s all great,” you say, “but what do I eat instead of turkey?”
Well, this year, my mom is serving Gardein stuffed roast for the entree. But that’s far from the only alternative. How about Portobello Wellington with red wine gravy, or vegan lentil shepherd’s pie with parsnip and potato mash? If you want something less turkeyish, there’s vegan lasagna with roasted vegetables, zucchini verde enchiladas, and nutty veggie burgers!
It takes no more effort to prepare a plant-based Thanksgiving meal than it does to cook a dead bird for half a day. So, go vegan this year, even if just for the holiday. Your stomach will thank you. Your heart will thank you. Your soul will thank you.
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