I’m one of many Baltimoreans struggling to combat the plastic pollution crisis through my everyday actions, and, I’d like to say on our collective behalf: We’re beyond frustrated. No matter how hard we try, it is impossible to avoid single-use plastic. Take food delivery services, for example. At least one of the apps primarily used for restaurant delivery in Baltimore has a default for all orders: no plastic utensils included. If customers want plastic cutlery, they have to check a box
Within months of the first shots of what was to become America’s Revolutionary War, Maryland mustered troops to join the Continental Army and help newly appointed general George Washington drive the British from Boston. But the willingness to support the armed struggle did not correspond with an inclination toward independence.
The Baltimore skyline has looked a little dim ever since March 1, when a 70-year piece of history disappeared from sight. That’s when the lights were shut off on the iconic “Domino Sugars” sign, which brightened up the Inner Harbor and could be viewed from various vantage points around the city. To Baltimore, the Domino sign was as much a part of its fabric as the Radio City Music Hall sign that blazes across New York City’s Rockefeller Center, or the dozens of similarly lit marquees that make it seem like it’s always daytime in Times Square.
In preparation for Independence Day, some of us ritualistically reread Frederick Douglass’s greatest speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” That speech, which Douglass delivered in Rochester on July 5, 1852, calls on Americans to live up to the nation’s egalitarian ideals. Douglass gave the speech on the fifth because he refused to celebrate the Fourth of July while slavery remained the law of the land. The speech continues to inspire today, with its soaring rhetoric and commitment to human equality. But could it be taught in states with Republican-controlled legislatures intent on banning from the classroom an honest engagement with the nation’s history of slavery and racism?
Happy birthday, America! It’s time for summer fun, and for celebrating with friends and family at picnics, fireworks, parades, beach and boat outings, and backyard barbecues. Maybe you are choosing to do something entirely different this weekend, and that is a celebration of freedom, too. We have an abundance of choices in our daily lives due to the adoption and signing of the Declaration of Independence 245 years ago.
On June 15, Gov. Larry Hogan announced that Maryland’s coronavirus state of emergency would end today, July 1. This will effectively terminate all emergency mandates and restrictions, including mask orders. Although the number of COVID cases has dropped, this still leaves many unvaccinated and vulnerable populations at risk. That day, the Baltimore City health commissioner said, “I’m aware that many will view this as the end of the pandemic. However, I want to be clear, while we have made significant progress as evidenced by our COVID-19 metrics, the public health threat of coronavirus remains high for our unvaccinated population specifically.”
Public education is transforming faster than ever, and the needs and expectations evolve with each school year. School buildings must support the teaching and learning needs of today to best nurture the leaders of tomorrow. In Prince George’s County Public Schools, many children attend classes in aging facilities. Nearly half of all school buildings are more than 50 years old — the second-oldest school buildings in the state.
I was so saddened by the senseless killing of Annapolis visitor Michelle Jordan Cummings on Tuesday. She was in our City to see her son Leonard “Trey” Cummings III inducted into the Plebe Class of 2025 at the United States Naval Academy. I-Day is such a proud moment for mothers and fathers. For the Cummings family, it was destroyed by wanton gun violence.
At the Baltimore City Council’s Taxpayer Night on May 27, Councilmember Eric Costello told residents the council would “listen to your comments,” to “help guide our decisions as we pass this year’s budget.” Taxpayer Night was the council’s only public forum where Baltimore residents could weigh in on Mayor Brandon Scott’s proposed budget — and our voices were ignored. More than 50 Baltimore taxpayers, including both of us, prepared testimony about how we thought the city should spend our money.
One of the things that aggravates me about Larry Hogan is his narrative about why he decided to run for governor. He was just a simple businessman, he explains, who became so frustrated with the direction of the state, and high taxes and stifling regulations, that he felt compelled to run and try to make things right.v Not true. Hogan has been around politics his entire life, and has thirsted to be a player in the political game from a very young age.
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