Our community can be forgiven for being skeptical about Shore Regional Health’s latest timeline for construction of the regional medical center having heard encouraging prognostications for many years. 

One wonders if this is the case now. While the 2025 start of construction date was reported in the September 20th Star-Democrat, LuAnn Brady, the new COO of Shore Regional Health and responsible for managing construction of the medical center, stated at a July 22nd public meeting co-sponsored by the Democratic Women’s Club and the AAUW, that construction wouldn’t begin until 2028.

Without an independent source of information on the situation, scapegoating the certificate of need process for delays is easy because the process is arcane and even well-meaning board members can fail to understand what’s occurring.  A community needs a mayor or other elected officials who will advocate with outside decision makers and provide that independent source of information.

Working as a Certificate of Need analyst for four years in Boston’s high powered health care environment, it was usual to see communities and their elected officials organize to insistently advocate for community health care needs when local hospital’s arrangements with establishment behemoths were at issue. 

Even locally, we can recall the intense community organizing that occurred around the Chestertown Hospital, in which Chestertown’s mayor and councilmen played a part advocating for community needs before Shore Regional Health.

The future of the current hospital site is the present challenge.  There is a clear need for Easton’s elected officials to inform and advocate for the community when it comes to the use of the substantial real estate of the current hospital site.  Our elected officials should organize an independent public process so that interested parties in Easton can know what’s going on and express the needs of the town.

That the elected officials have initiated a public process for community input regarding the current hospital site would be reassuring to prospective donors to the capital campaign. If the 2025 start of construction is to be believed, there’s no time like the present.

Holly Wright
Easton

Dorchester County is paying huge fees needlessly for recycling.  While the recycling measures suggested by the council are great and should be implemented, there is more that we can do.

I, along with other members of our Sierra Club Lower Eastern Shore Group, toured the recycling center in Delaware which is the final destination for our recycling. Here is some of what we learned:

1.  Never put recyclables in plastic bags and leave them in the recycling bins.  When they get to the Delaware facility, they are pulled out and dumped in their landfill because plastic bags break their recycling machines, and it costs a great deal of time and money to fix them. If we banned plastic bags from the recycling drop-off bins, we would not have to pay so much to transport material that is not going to be recycled anyway.  https://youtu.be/PDDihXzoaa4
2. Never put food in the recycling bins. For example, many people leave cheese in their discarded pizza boxes.  In fact, some people even leave leftover slices of pizza in them.  Peanut butter jars need to be clean as well. When we put food in the recycling bins, it contaminates the whole load, so the contents of the bin must be thrown in the landfill. Avid recyclers often put dirty jars and bottles in the dishwasher along with the dishes before recycling them to prevent this problem.

3. Only plastics 1, 2, and 5 are recyclable.  Please check the bottom of the item to look for the number.  If it is not a 1, 2, or 5, it cannot be recycled. An incredible amount of unrecyclable plastic is placed in our recycling bins every day. Plastic toys can frequently be seen as well, but  unfortunately, we can only recycle plastic jars and bottles at the present time.

There is absolutely no reason for Dorchester County to pay for nonrecyclables that will only be transported to Delaware to be thrown away.

The county does not even have to hire anyone to advise them.  Environmental groups, such the Sierra Club, will help for free. 

Folks in our county have good intentions.  They just do not know how to recycle correctly, so they put things in the bins just in case they can be recycled, in other words, they are “wishcycling.” If we educate our residents so that they recycle correctly, Dorchester County will save a lot of money.

Sue Olsen
Cambridge

I read the Talbot Spy’s report of the County Council proceedings of August 22 under Reconsideration of Decision Regarding MDE Letters with interest.

The County Attorney and Engineer’s August 8 recommendation that the Council respond to MDE’s requests in the 2023 draft Report of the Review – an administrative tool used to catalog properly approved updates to the Comprehensive Sewer and Water Plan – was bureaucratically efficient, yet poorly-conceived, lacked transparency, and appeared to short circuit the review process. I suggest watching the hearing video and drawing your own conclusions: County Council, August 8, 2023 @ 47:42.  

Council Member Mielke introduced a motion on August 22 to reconsider the Council’s August 8 decision regarding how to proceed with requests from MDE. That decision was reconsidered with support from Mr. Lesher, Ms. Mielke, and Ms. Haythe. The Council then considered a motion by Mr. Lesher to address MDE’s requests in standalone resolutions rather than as part of the Report. The vote for that decision was 3-2, with President Callahan and Mr. Stepp dissenting. 

“Democracy Dies in Darkness” was adopted by The Washington Post and popularized by investigative journalist Bob Woodward. I applaud Council Members Lesher, Mielke, and Haythe for shining the light on Lakeside, for having the courage to reconsider a bad decision and for taking the necessary time to give the water and sewer maps for Trappe and the EDUs for Lakeside proper review and careful consideration – something many citizens have demanded, but heretofore has not occurred. The community wants to see Council Members vote straight up or straight down on Lakeside and not try to bury the matter in an administrative filing. Talbot County residents and our precious waterways deserve at least that much from our elected and appointed officials.

Keith T. Ghezzi
Talbot County

 

I recently read a book that discussed how overwhelmed we have become as a society. It suggested that our lives are busier now than ever before, causing burnout, anxiety, and even physical pain.  Our minds are in a constant state of overactive racing thoughts, going a mile a minute, always thinking of the next tasks ahead.  It’s important for us to pause, and relieve ourselves from the chaos of life. We must find a way to turn-off the busy chatter in our minds and simply live in the moment and embrace calmness, peace, and inner joy. 

We can accomplish this by finding our Awe.

Finding my awe has been a life changing experience.  Awe can be found in ordinary things that we often take for granted in our day-to-day lives.  It can be as simple as going outside and taking a deep breath while allowing the sun’s rays to dance upon your face.  It’s sitting on the beach and watching dolphins in the ocean play, and admiring the amazing sunset that illuminates the sky into a portrait of radiant colors.

Its powerful effects have been studied by neuroscience research. The University of California, Berkeley, suggests that “awe can change heart rates, reduce inflammation, increase connectedness, enhance critical thinking, and increase positive mood and kindness” (Eagle, Amster). Awe is a reset button for our minds and bodies.  The more you tune into awe, the more awe you will want to find. When we slow down and admire the beauty or intensity of what is in front of us, it helps us to let go of our daily stressors and feel a sense of calm and contentment. Awe doesn’t cost a thing.  Anyone can find it.  It’s a natural way to uplift us all.

Our staff and clients have recognized the power of awe, and are taking advantage of it to improve our mental health and overall wellness. I hope this inspires you to embrace opportunities to find your awe and apply it in your daily life.  

Be sure to find your AWE. It’s good for your mental health.

Cathy Cassell, CEO
Chanel Marker Mental Health and Wellness Support Services

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R, AL) has made a mockery of the U.S. Senate’s role to advise and consent. He is single-handedly blocking the approval of the promotion of approximately 250 officers, including the appointment of the first woman to be superintendent of the Naval Academy.

A former college football coach, he left his common sense on the gridiron.

Tuberville is seeking deletion in the Defense Department funding bill of language granting commanding officers authority to provide transportation and leave for those seeking an abortion, particularly if they are based in a state that prohibits or restricts abortions.

So much for humanity.

So much for protecting the military from the detrimental impact of the culture wars.

So much for intruding on our nation’s military prerogatives.

Am I angry? Damn right I am.

Is Tuberville abusing his ability to create a logjam? Again the answer is a yes.

I have written before of my respect for our Armed Forces. My concern for the appropriate use of our defense forces is unshakeable. My disdain for political interference is unquestionable.

If Tuberville is making political points at home at the sacrifice of our people in uniform, shame on him. Family plans for new schools and housing are in limbo. Spouses might advocate for retirement or resignation.

 Uncertain leadership changes can affect readiness.

Tuberville is exercising power because he can, not because he should. His actions are reckless and “dangerous,” as characterized by President Biden. The former coach seems oblivious.

Many declaim the lack of public respect for once-revered institutions. Ill-advised actions by irresponsible federal legislators add to disenchantment.

Wake up, Coach Tuberville, and sense the need to support, not suppress the promotion of key officers.

Howard Freedlander
Annapolis

No one is questioning the need to replace the White Marsh Elementary School roof.  However, the timing and execution of this summer’s replacement project destroyed a colony of Least Terns, a migratory species designated as Threatened by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1916.

Least Terns have nested on the school’s roof in recent years.  The school’s flat roof, covered with gravel and small rock, is perfect habitat for the species.  Least Terns normally select open sandy or shell-covered beaches and islands on coastlines or rivers to build its nests.  Most of these sites have disappeared during the last century due to coastal development and the construction of dams on interior rivers.  As a result, the Least Tern population has declined significantly over the last 50 years – the North America Breeding Bird Survey estimates an 87 percent decline in their numbers since 1966.  This makes the protection of colonies even more important as a means of conserving this species.

The rooftop colony of Least Terns would be a great story on how development, done right, can incorporate conservation to help offset the many other threats leading to species decline, with many scientists estimating that over 1 million plant and animal species are on track to go extinct during the next century unless we take action to reverse this trend.  Unfortunately, that story is on hold due to missteps by the Talbot County School District in replacing the roof.

In early June, shortly after the last day of school, the School District initiated the roof replacement project.  Apparently, no one at the school nor the facilities manager for the School District bothered to check the roof ahead of time, nor noticed the dozens of Least Terns flying back and forth onto the roof, so they were unaware of the nesting colony of Least Terns.  They were also unaware that the species, like over one thousand other bird species, were protected by the Migratory Birds Treaty Act of 1918.  This act, among other things, prohibits destroying nests, taking eggs, or killing birds without appropriate permits or licenses.

Two DNR wildlife biologists became aware of the project on June 13 and visited the site the following day.  When they arrived, they met with a school administrator and the roofing contract manager, who claimed not to be aware of the Least Terns, the nests, or the Federal law protecting them.  At that time, most of the old roof had been removed and discarded.  While several workers had found eggs on the roof and placed them in a box in a well-intentioned but futile attempt to keep them out of harm’s way.  Of course, since the adults were not able to continue incubating the eggs, they would not be able to develop and hatch.  The biologists estimated that between 20 to 30 nests were lost because of the project.  They also found a few chicks that recently hatched.  The biologists asked that the work near these chicks be suspended for a couple of weeks to allow them to fledge from the roof.  Whether and how the school complied with this request is unclear, as is the question of whether any of the chicks survived.

It is important to note that migratory species protections would not have prevented the roof replacement.  Instead, these protections, if followed, would have required the school to work with the appropriate wildlife authorities to implement the project in a way that would have protected the Least Tern nests, such as altering the timing of the work or taking other steps to mitigate any impacts.  Unfortunately, once DNR became aware, the damage was already done.

Now two questions remain.  First, will the Least Terns return next year?  Fortunately, the new roof will look a lot like the old, with gravel and rock strata on a flat surface.  So maybe this be enough to attract the terns to return next year or so and continue nesting there.  Or will this human disturbance cause them to abandon the site.  We will have to wait and see.

Second, what will the school district and those involved in the project do next?  The best thing they can do is demonstrate leadership by publicizing this experience as a way of teaching others about the importance of environmental education, and encouraging all to value nature and make the natural world a priority in everyday actions and decisions.  We can all take steps to help conserve, protect, and restore our natural resources, but only through greater awareness.  In the words of Baba Dioum, “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

Hopefully the Least Terns will return next year, and we can welcome them back to our community after their long flight back from their South American wintering grounds.  If so, I’m hoping those from the school district will be among the first and loudest voices welcoming them, inspiring others to understand that the natural world is all around us.  Sometimes only a few feet above us.  All we need to do is look around and find ways to embrace conservation to make a meaningful difference.

Ron Ketter
Easton

Lakeside Fatigue Syndrome it’s called, a real thing. 

Understandably, a good number of people around here are just tired of the Lakeside drama.  “Yes, it’s dreadful, and Rocks, the developer, got the Lakeside approval improperly,” some might say. “But let’s move on already…we obviously can’t change anything.”  Interestingly, this seems evident mostly among folks who were particularly active and engaged in the “Reset Lakeside” effort last fall.  The disappointment and sense of betrayal were palpable when, after a seemingly successful campaign, the Council did not adopt the Reset Resolution, or even introduce it.  All that work, the yard signs, the meetings, the rally!  It did no good, some think. And here we go again?

But clearly, very many other Talbot Countians remain both incensed and determined:  516 individuals (most being voters) have joined the “Fix Lakeside Petition” (here) in the past 2 weeks; the number seems to grow by the hour.  Donations arrive by GoFundMe and by check every day (most $25 to $250…and one for $5000.)  Yard signs are out, and emails from Petitioners are hitting Council Members desks.  This “Fix Lakeside” thing is very much alive.  

This letter is to explain in the simplest possible terms why and how Fix Lakeside can succeed, and why quitting due to an acute attack of LFS, especially at this moment, is the height of self-defeat.  

Rocks, The Lakeside developer, has County approval today to build immediately on over 500 acres.  Plans call for 2501 homes and commercial space 1/3 the size of the Annapolis Mall along Route 50 near the single stoplight marking Trappe.

“RESET LAKESIDE” meant completely rescinding all County approvals, even though about 40 houses had been built and another 80 were in the works.  A rescission like that, coming 30 months after the approval had been granted and 18 months after the start of construction,–no matter how justified–is unprecedented in Maryland law.  Really, no one knew exactly what would happen on enactment.  That fear of the unknown, inflamed by voices from a few well-placed, high-profile advocates of Lakeside spreading anxiety and predicting litigation, was no doubt why the New Council was persuaded in January not to act, campaign talk notwithstanding.

“FIX LAKESIDE” is altogether different.  It rescinds nothing, and the consequences—all good for Talbot County–are readily foreseeable.  It works because of a turning point achieved in TIP’s recent lawsuit against the Maryland Department of Environment (“MDE”), described next. 

TIP’s lawsuit to compel MDE to step in and fix this situation was recently dismissed on technical grounds, but not before MDE came to recognize that, as TIP has contended from the outset, the sewer map that the developer used to persuade the County to grant Lakeside approvals was the wrong map. The whole story was false.

Lakeside is the biggest, most out-of-place, polluting disruptor of Talbot County that any developer has ever engineered.  The people behind any billion-dollar deal drive hard to get the permits they need, to overcome any obstacle.  The Talbot County Council in 2004 had rejected Lakeside out of hand, 5-0 against.  But in 2020, that fact was ignored; instead, a majority of the old Council accepted a false narrative presented by the applicant—that “Map 24” governed.

MDE has now said Map 24 is irrelevant, confusing, and should be eliminated.  It is “Map 23” that governs.  And on Map 23, Lakeside was always “unprogrammed,” scheduled for no sewer service at all.  The County must act, not because the ad hoc Committee to Fix Lakeside or TIP is calling for it, but because MDE requires it.

Falsehoods or not, realistically there is no way that the initial 120 homes in Phase 1A of Lakeside will ever be undone, so under the “Fix Lakeside” initiative they remain in place.  (That was an issue in the “Reset” effort, as the implications were very uncertain.)  If you don’t like what’s there, then every time you drive by that entrance just think of it as Talbot’s punishment for our inattention to local government action when it matters.

MDE has directed Talbot County to correct mistakes in the sewer service map adopted by R281, discarding “Map 24” and relying on “Map 23” as should always have been the case.  The County’s reclassification of the Lakeside property for development was in its entirety a mistake, because (as transcripts and videos of the proceedings show), the County was led into doing so by the applicants’ portrayal that “Map 24” governed.  The error was recited in the very title of R281.  MDE has confirmed Map 24 was wrong from the outset, and the truth was displayed on Map 23—where Lakeside unquestionably was not designate to receive sewer service at all.

A proper remapping of the Trappe area means all of Lakeside (but for those 120 homes) reverts to “unprogrammed,” just as it was the hour before  R281 was adopted.  The Lakeside developer can reapply to the County whenever he wants to go forward, but unprogrammed is the starting point, and a full, proper review before the Planning Commission and County Council (with public hearings) will be required for approval of each phase.

For sure, the developer and his handful of backers are counting on one thing going their way:  Lakeside Fatigue.  No way “the public” will stay with this.  It’s really complicated.  And boring.  And everyone’s tired of reading all that stuff.  And Poplar Hill will distract attention.

Maybe. But reaction to the “FIX LAKESIDE INITIATIVE” suggests not.  Any Talbot citizen who wants to support this effort, whether new to the issues or a jaded Lakeside veteran, should go to fixlakeside.com to get engaged.   Sign the Petition (takes under a minute); make a donation; spread the word.

No one on the Council has indicated opposition to the remapping described above; indeed, the County is just now working on its response to MDE.  So, the message is one of support.   Maybe the “Reset Resolution” was problematic, a bridge too far.  But “FIX LAKESIDE” is different, a straightforward and honest response to MDE’s request that Talbot County correct the mistakes made in adopting R281.  Let’s see that it’s done right.

Just put out a yard sign.

Dan Watson
The Talbot Integrity Project

 

 

Eleven days ago, there was no “FIX LAKESIDE” petition.  This morning there are four-hundred thirty (430) signers from every part of Talbot County.  People are very concerned about the excessive development pressure — not just Lakeside (approved based on the County being fed incorrect information) but Poplar Hill and several other projects.

The Maryland Dept of Environment has determined that the Talbot County Water and Sewer maps upon which Lakeside’s approval was based contain significant errors.  Accordingly, MDE has made a formal demand that the County promptly prepare corrected maps.  It has become evident that the new maps which will determine the future of Lakeside are being worked on essentially “behind the scenes.”  At a public meeting I attended yesterday morning, the County Engineer described a very unsettling process where, apparently without any guidance from Council Members, the Planning Commission, or any other authority, his office has been moving forward independently, consulting primarily with lawyers for the Lakeside applicant.  Indeed, new Draft maps have already been sent to MDE, however until yesterday no one in County management had seen any of these or even knew the status.  (Mr. Lesher, liaison to the Public Works Advisory Board, was the only Council Member present at this meeting and afterward he remarked that he needed some time to digest what he had heard.  All other Council Members of course know even less.)

In answer to a question in the meeting, the County Engineer asserted that his emails to MDE constituted the County’s “official response” thus far to MDE’s request — even though no Council Member apparently even knew about or authorized the content.  From yesterday’s materials, it appears the County Engineer does recognize that Map 24 — which was entire basis for the Lakeside approval — is actually irrelevant, and that Map 23 (on which Lakeside was shown with NO SEWER SERVICE) is the operative document.  But there is thus far no evidence of any plan to correct the mistake of Lakeside’s approval even though the approval was based on an incorrect map showing no sewer service.

With no direction about Lakeside coming from the Council, it seems that staff has been left to its own devices, and seemingly is relying heavily on guidance from the Town of Trappe’s lawyer.   The Town is essentially the developer’s partner and co-applicant.

Who is in charge here?  Who is making policy?  The map is the TALBOT COUNTY sewer map, to be decided by the County — not the developer’s map, not the Town of Trappe’s map.  MDE wants a map that corrects the mistakes made when Resolution 281 was adopted — which means Fix Lakeside.

To show you support the initiative to get the County to play a role in how far and how fast this project goes go to FixLakeside.com and sign the petition.  Our County Council needs to hear from the county citizens.

Bob Wenneson
on behalf of the ad hoc Committee to Fix Lakeside

Mr. Sikes’s editorial in the June 13 Talbot Spy takes a gentlemanly, somewhat academic approach to suggest that people of Talbot County should consider “what is the character of our county” and that we might take it easy during an intermission. Well, I believe there is ample evidence that a growing number of local residents, now in the hundreds, are already convinced that the Lakeside development actively threatens major adverse impact on the quality of life in Talbot County.  

The recent action of MDE to change maps that may influence further Lakeside development offers more than a simple breathing spell. More and more citizens hereabouts already look forward and see an opportunity to be active in righting wrongs previously inflicted on Talbot County by inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, County Council actions on the matter. The abundant documentation available from Talbot Integrity Project reports provides a clear history of that.

Mr. Sikes recommends a grading system might be useful to provide a measure of whether Talbot County residents care about their quality of life. Wouldn’t it be interesting to ask the Lakeside developers to offer up a grading system of the effects from what they propose on “. . . education, safety, recreation, traffic…”

Years ago I lived in a quiet, rural suburb of Seattle when development of new residential projects, virtually identical to several now being imposed on Talbot County, began creeping into the region without causing much disturbance. But suddenly development accelerated and residents began to recognize and wake up to the threat of major change coming closer. It turned out that late mobilization to defend quality of life is a great example of the very true aphorism, “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”  It’s simply not possible to repair damage caused by inappropriate development after the fact.

I urge anyone concerned about Lakeside development fulfilling its stated goal of thousands of new houses take advantage of the “intermission” to become active promptly while time is an asset. Now is the opportunity to actively monitor upcoming further review of Lakeside advances and to make your opinion about it known emphatically to Talbot County Council members.

Jocke Beebe
Oxford

As we have represented from day one, Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. (CWDI) takes seriously its Community-First approach to the Cambridge Harbor project. Our development decisions balance our community development goals and economic development goals. These goals include open public space preservation, development, and activation along the waterfront; promotion of maritime history and heritage; development of amenities that enhance the lives of our local community and the enjoyment of visitors to our community; taxable capital investments; new jobs created; and workforce training opportunities.

Since we closed our Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) six months ago, CWDI has been vetting the various respondents and their responses to determine which align most closely with our goals, adhering to our promise of confidentiality to them until final choices are made. We have made significant progress with this due diligence, narrowing down to a list of best potential partners for Hotel/Hospitality, Maritime Trades; and Site Activation.

The YMCA of the Chesapeake (YMCA) recently disclosed to the public that it is considering a new Dorchester County facility at Cambridge Harbor. CWDI confirms that the YMCA did submit a response to its REOI as a site activator. As with other respondents, CWDI is currently in discussions with YMCA leadership regarding the opportunity. We are encouraged that our goals align and look forward to collectively communicating to the community as we move through the process.

Feel free to contact me with questions.