Annapolis Politics at the Murray Hill Picnic

Chris Fox, independent candidate for Annapolis Mayor with Murray Hill residents, Peter and Judy Larson and Ward One Alderperson Dick Israel.

Even though only one of the three candidates for city mayor chose to attend, politics peppered the subject matter of many of the conversations at last night’s Murray Hill Picnic.
Clad in his bright yellow tee shirt, independent candidate Chris Fox was busy chatting up prospective supporters while other attendees talked about the prospects of Democratic candidate Zina Pierre who grabbed the front page newspaper headlines twice in one weekend by first withdrawing and then announcing her intent to stay in the race.
Miscommunication between staff and candidate was not as much as concern to voters as the lack of research that was done by the democratic party or the press prior to the election on the court records of the various candidates. Neither Pierre or Republican candidate David Cordle attended the picnic (at least not while I was there between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.).

“I’ve always been in favor of a city manager form of government and my platform has not changed,” Chris Fox told me, “I refuse to get involved in any type of personal attacks on the other candidates. I’m interested in running a clean straightforward campaign.” While the hundred plus attendees from the neighborhood filled their plates with food, Fox made the most of the opportunity to talk one on one with voters residing in the Ward one neighborhood of Murray Hill. Residents posed questions on taxes, economic growth, and accountability , while others questioned how no one has bothered to thoroughly investigate the financial past of all the candidates until after the primary had taken place.

The usual array of delicious food overwhelmed the table and sideboard inside the home of Lynne and Brad Davidson, who generously opened their home once again for the annual picnic event. Fresh salads, barbecue pork sandwiches, stuffed shells, chicken, meatballs, spaghetti plus homemade pies and brownies were enjoyed by all, accompanied by wine, beer, soft drinks, and chilled water.
For more information about the Murray Hill Resident’s Association, visit their website at: http://murrayhill.annapolis.com/

And the Winner is….

The news was not readily available in the newspaper this morning. The race was too close. Who would have thought that despite all the money invested in colorful glossy flyers, multiple mailings, and email blasts coupled with the rallies and visits by multitudes of campaign supporters standing on street corners waving signs that one of the candidates who seemed to have less money and seasoned organizers would come out the winner. It just goes to show that in a small town like Annapolis, every vote counts and personal contact and personal perception is very important. Now we are on to the big race. If you have the time to attend a forum and can hear the three speak on the issues, it should prove helpful in deciding for whom to cast your vote in November.

Annapolis Mayor Choice a Challenge

Eight of Nine Candidates debated on 09/09/09

It was a packed house last night at the Mayoral debate sponsored by The League of Women’s Voters held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. Despite the scheduled address by President Obama to the joint members of Congress and the nation, most seats were filled. (Perhaps many of the political junkies like myself had made prior arrangements to tape the President’s speech). Unlike President Obama’s comments, which were received by some in his audience with heckles and boos, the group on stage and in the audience were polite and respectful. In many instances the candidates seem to nod and agree with one another, like old friends, and I couldn’t help but think that perhaps whoever becomes the victor might be inviting their opponents to serve in their new administration.
One candidate, Republican David Cordle who is running unopposed, declined to be present. This was too bad, in that he will be one of three choices- and it would have been helpful to compare and contrast him to the one lone independent– Chris Fox and the seven Democrats.
As a registered Democrat, I have a difficult task to initially choose between seven candidates, several of which I have worked with personally, and all of whom have some fine qualities and qualifications that attracted them to this race. They all say they can do a better job than the present administration; but four years is a long time. The basic question remains; who would be the best mayor?
Oh if only I could magically fuse together the “do gooder spirit” of Laurie Sears Deppa with the executive management experience of Trudy P. McFall, and the political saavy of Josh Cohen. Then I’d add a dash of unifying spirit courtesy of Wayne M. Taylor, seasoned mediator ability contributed by Gilbert T. Renaut, long term alderperson experience of Samuel Shropshire, and the dynamic presence and multi-level governmental expertise of Zina C. Pierre. What a great democratic candidate that person would be.
Taylor, Cohen, and Pierre are not in favor of a City Manager although if the voters approved the measure in a referendum they would of course honor the voter’s choice. Otherwise, the differences on specific issues were not clearly defined in this particular debate. There is another debate tonight in Eastport. Another opportunity to judge and observe the candidates. But… there is nothing like seeing someone in action to really gain a sense of their suitability for the job. Too bad we can’t see into the future. Read more about the candidates at www.WhatsUpMag.com

Less Coffee in Naptown

The tough economic times are certainly turning the screws on the coffee baristas around Annapolis. The other morning pressed for time we decide to walk Grace our dog to Loews Annapolis Hotel to purchase coffee at Pronto, (rather than walk all the way to City Dock) and discovered they were closed ie. evidently no longer there. Meanwhile, without the Starbucks in front of Park Place and the long ago closing of Cafe Matisse, there are no longer any coffee shops between my house in Murray Hill and the offices of What’s Up? publishing.
Deeper into the heart of downtown I took note that Artini’s Boutique, a major champion of promoting downtown independent merchants is going out of business. No, they never sold coffee although they did sell elegant mixers and accessory items to go with beverages, but it does reinforce the fact that we just are not yet out of the economic gloom. Times are still tough for many retailers and small businesses. Which means we just have to work harder and walk further.
So the other morning, husband Peter and I, plus Grace the dog ended up walking down to City Dock anyway regardless of the time. And the good news is we got more exercise.
Happy Labor Day everyone.

Annapolis Singles Event on Thursday

What’s Up? magazines will once again be publishing their Most Eligibles Singles Issue in November. Finding the Most Eligible Singles is a weighty undertaking for the editorial staff of our two magazines, What’s Up? Annapolis and What’s Up? Eastern Shore. If you know of anyone in our circulation area; Anne Arundel, Kent, Dorchester, Queen Anne, or Talbot counties who is single, please send them to our Casting Call this Thursday evening at Pussers Caribbean Grill in Annapolis at 6:30 p.m.. Staff members will be on hand to take photographs and conduct interviews. We look forward to meeting and greeting our readers and the Most Eligible Singles of 2009/

Annapolis Summer Sunday

The mystery pumpkin growing from the compost pile grows larger.

Early this Sunday morning scores of runners were moving together, each trying to claim their small piece of space, down Main Street towards City Dock, participants in the 10 mile run sponsored by the Annapolis Striders. The runners came in all shapes and sizes. Some were moving at a fast pace, some were jogging, and others were takng a walking break. I recognized a few neighbors and cheered them on as I waited to cross the street to visit the Farmers’ Market. All the participants are to be commended. Ten miles to me, who can only run about one mile, is impressive. Who cares about speed? It was a great morning for running, not too hot. Bravo to all the contestants.

It’s amazing how quickly I can spend $20 on some fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread. They do have a nice selection at the Sunday morning Farmers’ Market that includes lamb, mushrooms and cheese in addition to baked goods, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. With my canvas bags full, I walked with my husband and  dog up the hill and towards home. In our back yard, the pumpkin (see my previous entry) is growing large. Still dark green, but definitely a pumpkin shape, it has more than tripled in size in just one week.

I’m trying to savor the last days of summer before school starts and my daughter gets back into her school routine. There is only one week left before What’s Up? Publishing will be closing the nominations for this year’s Most Eligible Singles on the Eastern Shore and  in Annapolis.  Get your nominations in before it is too late! Age categories start at 25 years old and go to 60 plus. (Maybe you have a parent, friend, uncle, or colleague you’d like to nominate. )The information is on our website at www.WhatsUpMag.com.  Why not play cupid?

Annapolis or Marco Island? Which is Hotter?

It’s prettier in a picture.

We’ve been experiencing quite a heat wave here in Annapolis, Maryland. Hot sticky days and warm damp evenings make most of us seek out the comfort of air conditioned buildings. But my recent visit to Southern Florida has had the affect of making me think Annapolis in summer is not so bad, following the old adage it could always be worse!

Not that I didn’t have fun in Florida. I was on vacation, accompanyinig my husband Peter on a business trip, but for the very first time in my life I used up an entire tube of sunblock in less than a week. That’s how intense the sun was, pretty scary.

To avoid too much sun I did my beachcombing and swimming in the morning before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. The ocean water was downright, warm, like bathwater.

One of my favorite places I visited on this trip was the summer home of Thomas Alva Edison, located right next to the summer home of Henry Ford in Fr. Myers.

It was actually a revisit, as I spent quite some time there 21 years ago while researching information for my first book on antique lamps, “American Lighting 1840-1940.”  One of my favorite stories I remember from my last visit was the guide telling us how Edison would sit at the end of his very long pier pretending to fish, just to have some time to himself.  This visit I heard  the story of how Edison was so obsessed with his research on developing a form of synthetic rubber that he’d work straight through the night and into the next day, falling asleep in his lab. Now that’s being obsessed with your work!

Edison had so many different ideas, from the toaster and waffle iron to the electric pen, phonograph, and movie camera. And now his idea for a rechargeable battery for the automobile just might be part of the solution towards energy conservation.

Air conditioning was not one of his inventions, I don’t think? What did they do in Florida at the end of the 19th century without it?

At any rate, Annapolis is refreshingly cool at least in the early morning. It’s good to be home.

There are some wonderful activities and fun things to do on the Southwestern Florida coast. As soon as I recover the photos off my camera, I’ll be posting a story on the www.WhatsUpMag.com website. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for the latest complete calendar of events for Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, www.WhatsUpMag.com is the place to visit!

Summer in the City

When the heat climbs up towards 100 degrees, the only time to take a walk is early in the day. At 6:30 a.m. it’s still reasonably cool enough for a light jog down to City Dock.

Oh how I wish the Farmers’ Market on Sundays would open even earlier than 8:00 a.m.. As the sun rises high in the sky I’m already starting to wilt even if the lovely produce stays fresh and fragrant under sheltering tents. Located at Fawcett’s parking lot, it remains open until noon. And then if you’re still in the mood for Farmers’ Market Shopping you can head over to the parking lot of the Annapolis Westfield Mall where the market will just be opening for the afternoon.

On my way home this Monday morning, cup of coffee in hand, I noticed a newly emptied storefront on Main Street. Comfort One Shoes is gone, kaput, vanished. Not even the remnant of the storefront sign remains. This was a place that I liked to buy shoes, so I take note of what they’re showing in the window and when they’re having a sale.  I checked the Comfort One Shoes website when I got to the office and noticed the Annapolis location is no longer listed. Wow that was fast. I called the corporate offices and talked with the vice president of sales. He preferred not to give a comment except to let customers know that if they call the Annapolis store phone number, their call will be forwarded. If they want to go shopping for shoes, they’ll have to drive to Baltimore.

Further up the street La Belle Cezanne, formerly located at 117 Main Street appears to be nicely settled into their new storefront at 184-86 Main Street, the multi-storied brick building that replaced the building devastated by fire back in 1997. They now have a multi-level space with plenty of alcoves for displaying their fine jewelry.

Closer to my home, the news is that the Starbucks at Park Place is slated for closing. Ironically they just opened, seem to be quite busy, and may have been a factor in the demise of Cafe Matisse, a locally owned coffee shop that had to close.  Evenings the outside dining areas of Fado and Carpaccios are bustling with business. The economic times may be a bit shaky, but people are still spending money.

Want to find out more on what’s up in Annapolis and through-out the Chesapeake Bay region? Visit our website at www.WhatsUpMag.com

Mother’s Day, Mother Earth, and Conserving Our Energy

I was driving down the road today, Mother’s Day, a little over the 65 mile per hour speed limit, and I started to wonder why am I driving so fast? If I wanted to conserve on fuel, I should be driving 55 miles per hour. Everyone knows that once you exceed 55 mph your mileage goes down, or do they? I’m of that age that remembers the oil embargo close to 35 years ago when everyone was trying to conserve– keep the heat thermostadt at 68 degrees, carpool, and drive 55 mph. We reduced oil consumption by as much as 20 percent. What happened? We all became complacent and forgot, brainwashed by the energy companies and now we’ve done so much damage to our planet no one has time to care. We’re all too busy trying to get somewhere quickly.
I was on my way from Annapolis to Baltimore to visit my mother. I came bearing gifts, although I wasn’t certain if they were the “right” gifts. My mom has a talent for asking for things as gifts that I just can’t find, although they sound simple enough. She wanted a turtleneck (to hide her ugly neck she told me) but in May a turtleneck is not easy to find other than by going online. But I was running out of time so I bought her a red knit top. I thought it looked nice but she didn’t want it, so that’s another trip back to the store. She did, however love the flowering potted plant I brought her, even though she didn’t want a plant.(I figured the plant would last longer than cut flowers). “The color of the flowers are great,” she told me. Okay I did something right. Here I am, a middle aged woman still trying to please my mother.
My mom has lots of plants. Unlike me, she has a green thumb, and is always taking cuttings and creating more potted plants to populate her cluttered home. I made lunch rather than taking her out(Crabmeat and avocado salad), because with her arthritic hips she prefers staying in and headed home before the next onslaught of rain. (No I did not reduce my speed to 55 mph.)
Meanwhile I’ve received phone calls from both my sons and my daughter was working on my Mother’s Day gift –planting a garden with her dad and making me dinner. (Hope they can keep up that garden!) It doesn’t matter really, at least they put the effort in and as to what they’re serving for dinner? It’s a surprise. Whatever they prepare I’m going to love it!
For me the biggest gift is taking the time to slow down, enjoy the green earth while it’s still here, enjoy my family. So maybe it is time to see about getting those speed limit signs changed!

Women, Song, Mother’s Day, and More

If you’re casting about for something to do with your Mom on Mother’s Day and she happens to love musicals and strong women, take her to see Vanishing Point. There’s only one more show left, Sunday afternoon May llth at the Annapolis Unitarian Universalist Church, a production of the Dignity Players and directed by Mickey Handwerger with music direction by Mark Hildebrand. The story is about three famous women who vanished—Amelia Earhart, Sister Aimee , and Agatha Christie. Or did they? Agatha Christie, one of my favorite early 20th century mystery writers vanished for eleven days in 1926. That same year evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished for three weeks. In 1937 Amelia Earhart set out to fly around the world and disappeared on the last leg of her journey over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. How are their three disappearances linked?
All three actresses—Margaret Allman as Agatha Christie, Wendy Baird as Aimee Semple McPherson, Sheri Kuznicki as Amelia Earhart have lovely voices and incredible stamina as they perform this intense story that draws on historical record and the authors’ imagination.
Also opening this weekend is The Goat Or, Who is Sylvia by Edward ,Albee Winner of the 2002 Tony Award at the Bay Theatre Company in Annapolis directed by Lucinda Merry Browne., if you attend this Friday there is a Pre-Show reception.
Over at the Colonial Players in Annapolis is Hauptmann and you can read my review in the “Entertainment Blog” on the WhatsUpMag.com website.
And if you want to make a visit to Baltimore, The Color Purple is playing at The Hippodrome through May 18th and is excellent. Leading actress Jeanette Bayardelle has a phenomenal voice. While I loved the movie, the staged musical is completely different, equally as poignant and uplifting in a different way.
Yes, I am a theater junkie. Good live theater is inspiring and we have plenty of great opportunities to see a wide variety of plays within a small geographic area.
The May baskets around town are starting to wilt and fade, but many colorful azaleas and tulips are brightening up the Annapolis Historic District. My favorite time to walk downtown Annapolis is early morning, before it gets too crowded, but for those of you who may live further away, next time you’re planning a trip to your favorite downtown restaurant allow some time to stroll. Spring is a great time to soak up the local scenery.