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November 30, 2023

Cambridge Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Cambridge

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Health Health Portal Lead News News Homepage

Enter Xylazine: Workgroup Highlights Increase of “tranq dope” in Opioid Crisis

November 30, 2023 by Maryland Matters
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As the opioid crisis continues, efforts to combat the problem are likely to be a point of interest in the upcoming 2024 Maryland General Assembly session.

“The opioid epidemic persists, though the primary substances involved in overdose fatalities are evolving. State efforts are in place to address continued behavioral health needs,” Department of Legislative Services analysts wrote in a report previewing likely topics of legislation.

The ever-evolving opioid crisis is complicated by the rise in fentanyl and other drugs that increase the chances of fatal overdoses. One of the drugs being tracked by state officials is xylazine, a veterinary medicine that has been more frequently found in fatal fentanyl overdoses, according to the Maryland Xylazine Workgroup and Maryland Overdose Data to Action Team.

To study the issue further, the workgroup was established as part of the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) implementation, a federal program out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that provides states with data to combat fatal and non-fatal overdoses.

“Xylazine is an emerging public health threat that could exacerbate the overdose crisis, complicate overdose prevention, and further drain already limited public health resources,” according to a report from last year that was recently updated with data from 2023.

While xylazine has been used in combination with opioids for more than a decade, the presence of it in overdoses have been increasing over the past few years. The drug is sometimes referred to as “tranq” and “zombie drug” and can lead to skin wounds and ulcers.

The workgroup’s report was initially released in 2022, but added an addendum in mid-November with data on drug paraphernalia samples that continues to show a large presence of xylazine.

Xylazine is not currently approved for human use. It is a respiratory depressant that is used as a sedative for animals, and is also used in euthanizing dogs. However, it can enhance and extend the effects of opioids, and is often used in combination with illicitly manufactured fentanyl or other drugs.

“The combination of xylazine and IMF (illicitly-manufactured fentanyl) can overpower the autonomic nervous system and increase respiratory distress to the point of overdose. In addition to increasing risk for overdose, xylazine is resistant to overdose reversal with naloxone. Therefore, xylazine could lead to increases in non-fatal and fatal overdose and decrease the efficiency of naloxone distribution, which is among the most effective population-based strategies for overdose prevention,” the report says.

The report notes that from 2012 through 2021, there were 926 total xylazine-related deaths in Maryland, but “nearly all occurred in 2020 … or 2021,” when there were 344 and 446 deaths recorded, respectively. Overall, there was a significant increase in xylazine-related deaths in the later years of the dataset.

The report looked at post-mortem toxicology screenings of people who had died from unintentional overdoses in 2021, and found that out of 2,496 people who died of opioid overdose, almost 28% were xylazine-positive, an increase from a 2020 estimate of 17.1%.

The report notes that nearly all of the fatal overdoses that were xylazine-positive had illicitly manufactured fentanyl as a cause of death, “which strongly suggests that xylazine is being used in combination with fentanyl.”

About 60% of the 2021 xylazine-positive fatal overdoses were connected to either Baltimore or Baltimore County. The workgroup suggests that there needs to be continued attention on the geography and the demography of xylanzine-involved fatal overdoses, as Black people are over-represented in the fatal overdose data.

“Data from 2021 highlight notable disparities. Most xylazine-involved overdose deaths occurred in the greater Baltimore area, and 41% of xylazine-positive overdose decedents are Black, despite that Black people comprise 30% of the state’s population,” the report says.

Of the 2,496 Marylanders who died from a xylazine-related overdoses that year, 1,808 were men and 688 were women.

From September 2020 to December 2021 the proportion of overdose deaths that were classified as xylazine-positive exceeded 15%, with an average increase in the proportion of xylazine-positive deaths of 3.2% each month. The data shows that 25.5% of fatal opioid overdoses were xylazine-positive in December 2021.

New data added

While the recent report update does not yet have xylazine-related overdose data for 2023, it provides another angle to assess the xylazine situation in Maryland, through testing for the presence of xylazine in drug paraphernalia.

Maryland’s Center for Harm Reduction Services tested drug paraphernalia samples to track changes in drug-use trends during October 2021 through May 2023 from 15 syringe service programs, which aim to reduce overdoses by providing a safe and clean environment to use drugs and can offer additional help for people who are trying to quit. The samples are provided by clients voluntarily.

The report found that xylazine was identified in 40.2% of paraphernalia samples during that timeframe. The xylazine-positive samples have been most prevalent in Calvert, Cecil, Frederick, Howard and Wicomico counties, the report notes.

However, there was is a slight decrease in percentage of xylazine-positive samples from May 2022 to April 2023, the report shows.

In May, 318 samples were positive for xylazine, which dropped over the year to 157 samples in December 2022. There was a brief increase in January 2023 to 250 samples positive for xylazine, but that also decreased month by month to 166 positive samples in April 2023.

“There was concern that medetomidine, another veterinary substance, might become more prevalent as slightly lower rates of xylazine continue to be the trend,” the report notes, further highlighting the complicated and ever-changing nature combating the opioid crisis. However, current trends also show a slight decrease in medetomidine use too.

The report says that the new drug sampling data can also be used for additional informational efforts to raise awareness about xylazine, connect people to resources and provide information on wound care that may result from xylazine exposure.

“This drug checking data has been used to further wound care efforts in the state around xylazine, through wound care training, xylazine informational flyers for the general public, people who use drugs, and providers, and linkage to care efforts,” the report concludes.

By Danielle J. Brown

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Filed Under: Health Portal Lead, News Homepage

A Renewed Push in Maryland to Require the Sale of Cage-free Eggs

November 21, 2023 by Maryland Matters
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Half a dozen free-range chickens were scratching on a narrow patch of grass at a farm in Potomac Monday afternoon, looking for insects, seeds and other things to eat.

The chickens, with names like Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe, seemed happily oblivious to the four cloth chicken dolls stuffed into a cage on the grass before them. But for the humans gathered at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary, the visual made for a stark tableau.

Several animal rights activists came to the farm Monday to discuss the Humane Society of the United States’ top legislative priority for the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session: a bill that would require all chicken eggs farmed and sold in Maryland come to come from birds who were not cooped up in so-called battery cages.

“These battery cages are incredibly cruel,” said Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, director of the Humane Society’s Maryland office.

State Sen. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick) and Del. Jen Terrasa (D-Howard) are preparing legislation that would make Maryland the 11th state to prevent the sale of eggs from chickens who spend their days in battery cages, which are designed to house up to 10 egg-laying hens and are often arrayed in long rows in a chicken coop. If it becomes law, Bevan-Dangel said, the bill would cover roughly 2 million chickens raised in Maryland and another 6 million chickens from out of state whose eggs are sold here.

“This is the most consequential piece of legislation in Maryland for animals, in terms of the number of animals impacted,” she said.

Young, a longtime animal rights activist who helped her father establish a kill-free pet shelter in Lycoming County, Pa., more than three decades ago, introduced the bill in this year’s legislative session, but it failed to get a vote in the Senate Committee on Education, Energy and the Environment, where she serves. Bevan-Dangel said animal rights activists viewed this year’s legislative push as an educational effort but are intensifying the struggle in advance of the 2024 session, including a House sponsor for the first time.

“We’ve always had an ambitious agenda because the legislators have shown they’ve been very supportive of animal rights,” she said.

The setting for the news conference, on a hillside of a rolling 5-acre rescue farm that was set up as a nonprofit about a year and a half ago, was fitting, and friendly, camera-ready sheep and other animals wandered by as the activists were speaking. The timing of the news conference was also not coincidental — coming at the beginning of Thanksgiving week, when millions of Americans are looking forward to eating turkey, chicken, ham and other meat delicacies.

Michele Waldman, who established Rosie’s Sanctuary as a home for dozens of farm animals, said the nonprofit is designed to educate the public about the kinds of animals who are abused in the marketplace. The farm offers tours to school groups, other organizations and individuals who are interested in animal rights. Waldman said she gets daily entreaties to shelter animals that are being abused, but said there are only so many the farm can accommodate.

“As you can see,” she said, gesturing to the chickens, “they just love to forage. They spend half the day doing this.” These particular birds were rescued from an Orthodox Jewish festival of atonement in Brooklyn, N.Y., where they were scheduled to be ritualistically waved over people’s heads and then slaughtered.

Young and Bevan-Dangel said animal rights is only one aspect of the legislation.

“There are health and safety reasons,” Young said. “There’s scientific evidence that caged birds are more likely to produce eggs that produce salmonella and possibly other health hazards.”

“If COVID taught us nothing, it’s that close proximity can be an incubator for disease,” Bevan-Dangel said. She also cast the legislation as a consumer rights bill, noting that the price of cage-free eggs would drop if all the eggs on the market were produced in the same way.

When the bill was up for a hearing earlier this year, the Maryland Farm Bureau opposed it in part on the grounds that the legislation would be too costly. In written testimony, the Farm Bureau estimated that if it became law, the bill would result in a 41% increase in cost of production to retrofit the existing barns and an 119% increase in labor.

“By moving to a cage-free operation, the hen mortality rate increases significantly due to more bacterial habitat being introduced in the barn,” Colby Ferguson, the farm bureau’s government affairs director, said in his testimony. “Lastly, these farms are contracted with out of state companies that will just drop their contracts with the farms and then these farms will have to create a new demand for their eggs in a market where there is already an oversupply of cage-free eggs. This bill would put the few egg-laying farms, that farm this way, out of business.”

Ferguson also offered another reason why farmers objected to the legislation: “We oppose any legislation that would interfere with the right of farmers to raise livestock and poultry in accordance with commonly accepted agricultural practices,” he wrote. “Regulations imposed on agriculture shall be based on economically sound and scientifically proven research to ensure that agriculture, including livestock and poultry industries, remains viable and continues to be a strong economic base for Maryland. All regulations shall be subjected to a rigorous scientifically justifiable cost/benefit analysis.”

Opposition at the hearing also came from the Maryland Rural Council, the Wicomico County government and a few individuals.

Young said she and Terrasa are trying to tweak the language from the previous bill to make it more palatable to the agriculture industry and other opponents. Bevan-Dangel said the bill as originally written would not have outlawed cages altogether or prevented farmers from housing chickens indoors.

By Josh Kurtz

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Filed Under: Maryland News

Easton Council Highlights: Sharing Perspectives on the Frederick Douglass Mural

November 21, 2023 by The Spy
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The most interesting and moving part of the Town of Easton Council meeting last night was the public comments related to the newly installed art mural on Washington Avenue depicting the great American hero Frederick Douglass.

Rising in opposition to the recently installed mural were those who talked movingly about the harm done by having Douglass contextualized with 21st-century cultural references like basketball shoes and watches. One in favor of the work, a student at Washington College, made the case that it would help reach younger Americans with the Douglass story.

At times like this, the Spy recalls that Douglass willingly became the most photographed American in the 19th century. While it is impossible to channel what he would have made of this current debate in the land of his birth, it might be comforting to feel that Fred would be thrilled about a conversation on the importance and power of an image.

Citizen Comments Highlights

Council Member Remarks

 

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Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Maryland News, News Portal Highlights

It’s All about Wastewater Treatment: A Chat with New Rock Hall Mayor James Cook

November 20, 2023 by James Dissette
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When James Cook ran for Rock Hall mayor, he already had insight into the town’s most critical issue—wastewater and water.

As an engineering and project designer at RAUCH, Inc, in Easton along with a term on the Rock Hall town council, Cook knew what he was getting into and made it his single issue running as a candidate.

And it’s a daunting task. To overhaul the Town’s most critical infrastructure issue could take a decade and 20+ million dollars. In the meantime, however, the young mayor is promoting a temporary solution to the water quality: a mobile filtration system that will circumvent the long- deteriorated filtration component of the water treatment plant.

“A mobile filtration system will take care of 30-40% of the water quality, he says.

At the same time, Cook, will reach out for assistance through his roles as a member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Municipal League and Eastern Shore Association of Municipalities and his almost four years at an Adjunct Instructor for the Engineering Technology Department at Chesapeake College.

Switching gears, the Mayor discusses a project involving the transformation of the old Rock Hall municipal building into a community-focused library. The project gained widespread support, with community members actively contributing ideas and suggestions recently during a well-attended meeting. Anticipating completion by 2025 or 2026, the Mayor envisions a thriving and community-centric library for Rock Hall.

Beyond infrastructure, the Cook is deeply committed to education and community retention while emphasizing the importance of addressing demographic shifts and retaining young families. His initiatives include forming an Economic Development Committee and advocating for a satellite campus of Chesapeake College’s Skilled Trades Program in Rock Hall, focusing initially on marine trades.

The Mayor’s two-pronged approach to community development involves creating affordable housing and facilitating economic growth beyond seasonal activities. By loosening restrictions and encouraging mixed-use developments, the new Mayor aims to make Rock Hall an attractive place for both living and working.

The Spy recently interviewed James Cook to talk about his new role as Rock Hall Mayor and how enthusiasm for leadership roles can contagiously attract and inspire essential contributors.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length.

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Filed Under: Maryland News

St. Vincent de Paul Feeds Record Numbers 

November 20, 2023 by Spy Desk
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Eight thirty Saturday morning, November 18, 40 cars were already lined up, to receive  food from The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Food Pantry on Canvasback Drive in Easton. And the procession of cars continued for more than three hours. “We have never had a day like this in our history,” according to Food Pantry Manager Kate Mansfield. “We are so grateful to all those who help us provide Thanksgiving to so many needy families in Talbot County.  In all, 188 households were served.”

“Our benefactors included:  Acme Markets, Choptank Transport (now Hub Group), Giant Foods, Paris Foods and Saints Peter and Paul Elementary School,” said Mansfield.

Mansfield expressed gratitude to the “Wonderful Vincentian volunteers, as well as a number of high school students who pitched in from Saints Peter and Paul, Easton, Gunston and Chesapeake Christian.” 

“We have so many to thank,” says Mansfield. “But before we celebrate our own Thanksgivings, we will prepare for a repeat of Saturday when we are open again on Tuesday.”

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Saints Peter and Paul Conference, Inc., is an all-volunteer organization. In addition to their Food Pantry, they operate a Thrift Store and provide financial assistance to those in need in Talbot County. They can be reached at 410-770-4505.

 

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Filed Under: News Notes

Study: Lawn Mowers and Leaf Blowers in MD Produce as much Pollution as Long Car Trips

November 18, 2023 by Maryland Matters
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It’s leaf blower season, adding new layers of unwelcome noise to the cacophony of daily life.

Leaf blowers — along with gas-powered lawn mowers, string trimmers, chainsaws and other garden equipment, also generate an alarming amount of air pollution. Some machines emit as much pollution in an hour as driving hundreds of miles in a car.

A recently released report by the Maryland PIRG Foundation, called “Lawn Care Goes Electric: Why It’s Time to Switch to a New Generation of Clean, Quiet Electric Lawn Equipment,” attempts to quantify the public health risks and potential damage.

Analyzing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, the report found that gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in Maryland emitted an estimated 597 tons of harmful “fine particulate” air pollution in 2020 — an amount equivalent to the pollution emitted by 6.4 million gas-powered cars over the course of a year.

Montgomery County, which is phasing out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums, ranked 16th among U.S. counties for “fine particulate” air pollution in 2020, with Prince George’s, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties all ranking in the top 100 as well.

“It’s absurd that we have been tolerating so much harmful pollution and noise just to cut grass and maintain landscapes,” said Maryland PIRG Foundation Director Emily Scarr.

The pollutants emitted by gas-powered lawn equipment include fine particulates (PM2.5), ozone-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and air toxics such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene and formaldehyde. Exposure to these pollutants has been linked to health problems including asthma attacks, reproductive ailments, mental health challenges, cancer and premature deaths. Because they burn fossil fuels, gas lawn mowers and leaf blowers also emit carbon dioxide, the leading contributor to climate change.

The report estimates the emissions of each pollutant and health impacts for the state and on a county-by-county basis. It also calculates the benefit of taking the gas-powered equipment out of circulation, comparing it to the equivalent of taking a certain number of gas-powered cars off the road.

“Air pollution from lawn equipment isn’t some big, distant problem — it’s happening right in our own backyards,” said Tony Dutzik, associate director and senior policy analyst at Frontier Group, a nonprofit think tank that focuses on transportation and environmental policy, who is one of the authors of the new study. “The data in this report shows that emissions from lawn equipment are an important issue in every part of our country.”

The report recommends that local and state governments use electric equipment on public property and provide financial incentives to encourage the widespread adoption of electric lawn equipment by residents. It further suggests that cities and states consider restrictions on the sale and use of the most-polluting fossil fuel-powered equipment.

“The good news is, for those who chose to not use a rake or other manual tool, cleaner, quieter electric-powered lawn equipment is capable, affordable and readily available,” Scarr said.

Those recommendations align with sections of the preliminary Maryland Climate Pathway report, which the Maryland Department of the Environment issued earlier this year, with suggestions for how the state can meet its aggressive climate goals. A final version of the pathway report is due out next month.

Earlier this fall, the Montgomery County Council voted 10-1 to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums. Sales of those items will be prohibited in the county beginning on July 1, 2024, and their use will be banned altogether a year later — with exceptions for large-scale agricultural operations.

As he signed the legislation in September, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said the county was “putting the health and safety of all our community members first,” and said the government would design a rebate program to help residents defray the cost of purchasing electric leaf blowers and vacuums.

Del. Linda M. Foley (D-Montgomery) introduced legislation in the 2023 General Assembly session that would have phased out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and vacuums, similar to the Montgomery County measure. In addition to several environmental groups, supporters of the bill included the National Association of Landscaping Professionals and the Humane Society of the United States. The Maryland State Firefighters Association supported the legislation but sought an exemption for the Department of Natural Resources, Forestry division fire management team, arguing that battery-powered leaf blowers do not operate for as long a period as gas-powered units.

Several individuals testified against the measure, as did The Maryland Arborist Association, Inc., which argued that the bill would cost tree care companies — and their customers — more money.

The House Health and Government Operations Committee took no action on Foley’s legislation. But Foley said Monday she would be back with similar bills in the 2024 session, with some changes.

Foley said she is changing the phase-out period of her prior legislation to make it “a little more generous” and is expanding the list of equipment covered to include all “non-road” fossil-fuel engines.

“It is a small portion of fossil fuel emissions [in the state], but every bit of it matters,” she said.

Foley said she anticipates putting in a separate bill regarding sales of leaf blowers. In all likelihood, she said, consumers would be required to buy electric yard equipment when their older, gas-powered equipment breaks down.

By Josh Kurtz

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Filed Under: Eco Portal Lead, News Homepage

Three Cambridge Businesses Partner to Offer Free Thanksgiving Meal

November 16, 2023 by Spy Desk
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On November 20 at 4 p.m., three local businesses will come together to serve a free traditional Thanksgiving meal to 200 neighbors at One Mission Cambridge at 614 Race Street in Cambridge. The Cambridge businesses, that have partnered before on community events, are Taqueria Floritas, Blue Ruin, and Simmons Center Market.

“One Mission Cambridge is already feeding the community and I thought what better way to reach people in need,” states Chris Rojas of Taqueria Floritas, who had the brainstorm for the project.

“I love feeding people and seeing people react to the food. It’s better than receiving money for it. My family has always given back to the Latino community and we decided to target those who are homeless this year.”

Rojas partnered with Paul Dendorfer of Blue Ruin for a Cinco De Mayo event earlier this year and the two are working together on other community events.

“I just want to help the committee as much as possible and just give back and support the community,” comments Dendorfer, whose wife passed away from cancer.

“I had three little kids so my thing is I try to do as much as I can to make them feel like they weren’t shorted because of growing up without their mom. Through my business, I want to do as much as I can to make sure other people don’t feel like they are shorted in life either.”

Rick Travers, Jr. of Simmons Center Market has done a significant amount of charity work in the community and was happy to be a part of the efforts as well.

“Last year, we did a Christmas market at our place, and that’s how we met. You make those bonds with people and try and stay connected through activities like this,” adds Travers.

Each business is going to be preparing food for the dinner and their staff will be available to help serve that day as well. Angel Marie Photography and Shelby Louise Photography will be documenting the project through photography and video to use to promote next year’s event. The two businesses are also sponsors of the event.

To help cover the cost of the meal, the group has organized a raffle. The raffle prizes are $100 gift certificates to Taqueria Floritas of Cambridge, Blue Ruin of Cambridge, Simmons Center Market of Cambridge, as well as to Angel Marie Photography and Shelby Louise Photography. Donations for the meal will be accepted anytime.

“We are so grateful for these businesses stepping up to provide this free meal. Their generosity of spirit and resources will be a blessing to those in need over this Thanksgiving holiday,” states Krista Pettit, Director of One Mission Cambridge.

“You never know when you’ll be down on your luck. That’s the background of our businesses and that’s why we’ve worked well together. We also help each other out,” adds Travers.

For further information about the Thanksgiving meal, visit onemissioncambridge.org.

One Mission Cambridge is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 1 to 6 p.m. for services. For additional information visit onemissioncambridge.org, Facebook, and Instagram, or call 410-901-3959. For further information about donating to One Mission Cambridge, contact Krista Pettit at 443-521-6825. Donations can be made to One Mission Cambridge, P.O. Box 1495, Cambridge, MD 21613.

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Filed Under: News Notes

CAN Notes: Homelessness and Council Approvals Highlight Cambridge Council Meeting

November 15, 2023 by Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods
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The Mayor opened the meeting as usual at 6:03 and introduced the first of two speakers.

Kourtney Postley, Division Coordinator for Lead 4 Life started the presentation on their services.  Lead 4 Life Organization has just come to Cambridge and they offer a number of programs to help the community.  The two areas they focused on were people returning to the community from prison.  They help these individuals with a mentoring program, assistance getting started in the community, help with getting jobs, re-establishing licensing, funds for medical and dental assistance, mental health issues, and life coaching.  The second program was assistance with gun intervention with teens.  They had several programs to identify youths with weapons and how to deal with that issue.  They also wanted to interface with the police in that effort.

Valerie Davis gave an emotional presentation on homelessness in Cambridge.  Ms. Davis works for Delmarva Community Services which helps in finding shelter for individuals and families in need of help.  She was concerned with the lack of facilities in Cambridge and the growing number of elder homeless people, especially women.  She commended the Salvation Army who provides the largest shelter in Cambridge but said the City needs to do more in getting people off the street especially with the coming of winter.

The Council then moved on to the consent agenda which contained approval of past meeting minutes, upcoming civic events and three items of interest:

  1. HOW (Home Ownership Works) program, sub recipient agreement- This lengthy title gives Cambridge $3 million from the State to build single family homes in the Pine St. district.  This is very positive development for the City.
  2. The Council approved an Arts and Entertainment District Advisory Committee as required under the Act.  The Committee has several areas of responsibility under the State program in order to get special tax credits for artist and art projects in the District.
  3. Somerset Ave/ School St. traffic calming project.  The City will try painted areas and bump outs to try to calm the speeding on Somerset.  This is a long time problem for the residents and hopefully this will help.

The Council then approved at first reading Ordinance 1232 which defined responsibilities of citizens representing the City on Board and Commissions.  They also approved Ordinance 1233 which rezoned several parcels of land from General Commercial to Downtown/Waterfront Development District.  There was no discussion on either of these Ordinances. 

Under Old Business, the Council approved going forward with the Traffic Study implementation plan which would remove all the traffic lights in the downtown area and leave those walking on their own.  Councilman Sputty Cephas wanted more community and business information before going further and the Council agreed to waiting until December before starting.  What is being proposed is as follows: Remove the traffic lights at

  1. High St. and Glasgow
  2. High St. and Poplar St./locust St.
  3. Race St./Poplar St. and Gay St.
  4. Race St. and Muir St.
  5. Gay St. and Muse St.
  6. Gay St. and Academy/Spring St.

The report said it would make traffic go smoother and people walking safer and that the business community was in total agreement.  Commissioner Cephas was not so sure everyone agreed so there is an extended period of community input.  So if you want to comment, you need to contract your Commissioner.  This is the only chance you are going to get.

Departmental Reports:

George Hyde, the City engineer submitted a report to build a stage/pavilion at Cannery Park.

Ina Holden presented a new City employee plan that gave an option on which medical insurance a City employee could get.

The City Manager introduced the new plan for Code enforcement which will have a scheduled process on which streets the City is focusing on.  The following is the first list to be reviewed.

  • Robbins St.
  • Glasgow St.
  • Mace Lane
  • Academy and Light St.
  • Maryland Ave. and Rambler Rd
  • Patamoke Way
  • Pleasant St.
  • Radiance Drive

This is part of a whole process to revamp the City’s code enforce process.

Other City updates are as follows:

The City is trying to work with CWDI (Cambridge Waterfront Development) to make some adjustments to their approach to get more tax revenue for the City and County.  CWDI is reluctant to make any changes.

The City has not come to an agreement with Oasis for the management of the Marina for next year.  Oasis has agreed to extend through the first quarter next year to work out the contract.

The City has hired Drew Koslow, an Environmental Program Manager from a three year grant.  He will work on shoreline resiliency and storm water management.  He is a welcome addition.

In other great news, George Hyde has agreed to stay on board for another year.  George has been the City Engineer for a number of years and has a wealth of knowledge.  He is also a very nice guy.

The City received a $320,000 grant from the Federal Department of Transportation to improve the bicycle lanes in Cambridge.

The Council went through the 128 page agenda in an hour and four minutes and ended the open meeting at 7:07.  They then went into closed session.

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Filed Under: News Homepage

Dorchester Chamber Announces Youth Workforce Lunch and Learn

November 15, 2023 by Spy Desk
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To begin National Apprentice Week (November 13-19) the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce Education Committee is teaming up with the new Dorchester County Public Schools Career Coaches to announce an information sharing session for all employers in Dorchester County. The Youth Workforce Lunch and Learn session is set for Friday, December 1, 2023, at Noon. The objective of the event is to help local businesses learn how to tap into the capable workforce found right here in our high schools. The session will cover multiple options for getting students engaged in the workforce while they are still attending high school.

The challenge with an adequate workforce is listed in the top three issues facing almost every business in the State of Maryland. We have a relatively untapped source of labor in our schools with the desire to learn and build job skills for their futures. We just need to make the connection between the employers and students in a way that works with student interests and educational needs. The Chamber believes the Career Coaches will be instrumental in making that happen.

“We are very excited about the creation of the new Career Coach roles at DCPS.” says Joel Bunde, Chair of the education committee. “They will be a tremendous resource for our students and a great asset for the business community as we work to solve the workforce challenges we face today.”

Over the past four years the Chamber has been working with DCPS and the State Department of Labor to help get the Youth Apprentice Program launched. While covid slowed progress, the program is now at a point where it can truly have a significant impact on the career development of our youth and a huge impact on the local workforce. The addition of Career Coaches within DCPS is going to be a catalyst for the growth of the program. There are many success stories locally and across the state for the Youth Apprentice Program already. The more students and businesses that get engaged in the program the faster we will realize improvements in our local workforce. It will be one of the key topics at the Lunch and Learn.

There are other ways to engage students and help with their career development and improved employability and those will also be discussed during the session. Some examples include internships (paid and unpaid), job shadowing, summer/seasonal employment, and just straight hiring a student while understanding and respecting the hours they are able to work while still in school.

The session will be held in the Chamber Conference Center and will have a webinar option for those that cannot make it to the in-person event. Lunch will be provided for those who attend in-person. There is no charge for the event, but you must register for either the in-person or online option. You can visit the Chamber calendar to register online (www.dorchesterchamber.org) or just call the Chamber at 410-228-3575 to register. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

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

Filed Under: News Notes

Settlement Five Years After Anton Black’s Death Includes Reforms To State Medical Examiner’s Office

November 9, 2023 by Maryland Matters
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The Board of Public Works unanimously approved a settlement that resolves a lawsuit filed against the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner following the death of Anton Black five years ago.

The family of Black and his estate receive $100,000. Another $135,000 will be paid to lawyers representing the Coalition for Justice for Anton Black.

The settlement also includes landmark changes to the Office of the State Medical Examiner, according to a statement issued by the ACLU of Maryland on behalf of Black’s family and the coalition. Those reforms were announced shortly after the three-member board approved the cash payment.

Included in that settlement are new policies advocates say set explicit guidelines for how in-custody deaths are to be reviewed by the agency.

As part of that, the office is required to adopt national standards for how such deaths are investigated and how a cause of death is determined. The National Association of Medical Examiners requires a death to be ruled a homicide whenever it is determined that the death would not have occurred but for the intentional conduct of another person.

The new policies also require impartial investigations free from improper police influence. No one who is not an employee of the medical examiner’s office can provide input about the autopsy, inspection, or examination.

All completed autopsy results must be presented to the chief or deputy medical examiner for approval prior to release.

Families who receive autopsy reports must be informed of their rights to seek a correction or review findings.

“This settlement is an excellent first step, but as we engage in this new process community members must stay vigilant and engaged to make sure it’s effective,” said Richard Potter, founder of the Coalition for Justice for Anton Black. “The best frontline approach to eliminating harm is increasing accountability within. That is why I hope that with this settlement agencies will begin to recognize their own wrongdoings, catch them and change them before they cause harm. What is needed is a sense of shared ownership that can only come through trust and mutual accountability, with police confronting their own biases about mental illness, committing to de-escalation, and truly serving a diverse community.”

The settlements resolve all open lawsuits filed following Black’s death in police custody.

“This hard-fought settlement is about ensuring that the Maryland Office of the Medical Examiner tells the truth about what happened when people, and particularly Black people, are killed by police or corrections officials,” said Sonia Kumar, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Maryland. “We can’t prevent such deaths if we aren’t honest about what caused them, and this settlement is a crucial step towards that goal in future cases. We hope this settlement will make a real, positive impact, but it is truly just the beginning of the reckoning needed to address decades of misrepresentations so we can bring justice to families still waiting for the government to tell the truth.”

The panel, which includes Gov. Wes Moore (D), Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) and Treasurer Dereck Davis (D) approved the financial settlement without discussion or debate.

Following the meeting, Moore declined to take questions on the settlement. In a later statement, his office said he was “pleased to support this recommended settlement agreed upon by the Attorney General’s Office, the Black Family, and the Coalition to satisfactorily resolve their legal claims against the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.”

Black, then 19, died on Sept. 15, 2018, after being restrained by police officers on a ramp in front of his mother’s home in the Eastern Shore town of Greensboro.

Black was seen on a bridge putting a younger acquaintance in a headlock. He was then chased by three white police officers and a white civilian.

The officers then attempted to subdue Black. They wrestled him to the ground, used a stun gun on him, held him down and, after handcuffing him, sat on top of Black for several minutes.

An autopsy performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Black’s death the result of cardiac arrest. The report cited no evidence that Black was asphyxiated due to the restraints used by the officers.

In a 2020 federal civil rights lawsuit, Black’s family and the coalition claimed that excessive force and racial bias led to his death. They alleged the cause was “positional asphyxiation.” The family and lawsuit also alleged that the medical examiner and police from Greensboro, Ridgley and Centreville engaged in a cover-up.

That lawsuit was settled a year ago for $5 million.

Two years ago, the Office of the Attorney General began an audit of autopsy findings by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The review of 100 cases was ordered after former Chief Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler testified in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a Minnesota police officer accused of killing George Floyd. Fowler, during testimony in that case, refused to classify Floyd’s death as a homicide.

That audit is ongoing.

Black’s death became a pivotal point leading to police reforms.

The legislature passed a package of reforms of law enforcement in Maryland in 2021. Included in that was Anton’s Law. The law provides public transparency on disciplinary records of Maryland police officers. That transparency extends to complaints and investigations of officers both in their current jobs as well as positions in other agencies.

Previously, those records were shielded from the Maryland Public Information Act.

By Bryan P. Sears

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

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