Half a century ago, a professor at my college assigned “Giles Goat-Boy” as the culminating novel in his Modern Literature course. I’d never heard of the book or its author. The length daunted me: 766 dense pages! But before I’d finished the multiple prefaces, John Barth had become my favorite writer. That a mere mortal could construct sentences so elegant, so complex and so funny with the same words I used every day — I didn’t see how it was possible. There was also a lot of sex.

Having trouble sleeping at night? Experiencing racing thoughts or night sweats? My friend, you need to look at some birds. Yes, it’s that time of year again, when I tout the virtues of birding to my fellow insecure, overachieving denizens of Baltimore and across D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Why birding? Articles from countless esteemed and erudite publications have documented its many benefits to mind and body.

Which places in the country are best for a good life? Opinions may differ and experts offer provocative rankings, but the best barometer of quality of life may be one simple statistic: population growth. People move to communities with opportunities for economic, social and educational well-being; they move out of communities that lack these qualities. By this measure, Maryland’s biggest city is getting a strong vote of no confidence.

Whether Marylanders took time to watch last Friday’s candidate forum between the top two Democratic candidates vying for a seat in the U.S. Senate or have simply been following the news, there’s one element of this matchup between U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks that they’ve already heard plenty about.

After a year of consideration, the Biden administration has imposed strict limits on so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water, requiring utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. The rule will have significant impact on Frederick County’s water systems, because the chemicals have been found in several sources of drinking water here.

 

I believe in journalism. At its best, journalism celebrates the good we have in common, shines light on the wrongs and points the way toward making things better. Call it my philosophy, if you want. I call it my life’s work. So, I listened with interest last week as the University of Maryland, the Knight Foundation and The Baltimore Banner rolled out and discussed the findings of the university’s study on the state of local journalism in Maryland.

 

Any serious list of Maryland’s major economic assets is certain to include its health care and scientific expertise, its transportation connections (water, air and land), and its proximity to East Coast markets and the nation’s capital. Yet there is at least one more important asset that’s often overlooked or discounted: the state’s immigrants.

I want more for Baltimore. Four years ago I ran for mayor out of a sense of desperation for this city. Persistent poverty, high crime rates, stagnant growth and population loss, poor public education and a dysfunctional transportation system drove my decision to run. While I did not win the race, I learned a lot about our situation. Fundamentally, Baltimore suffers from a lack of leadership that prevents us from solving problems at scale and lifting confidence in our city.

Maryland in 2023 stood among states with the highest rates of home foreclosures, and unfortunately, too many homeowners do not know where to turn, or wait too long, to seek help for their financial distress. Working in the Maryland housing market for decades as both a broker and a credit repair specialist, and as someone who has faced foreclosure in the past, I know that the possibility of foreclosure can come with stress, shame and embarrassment.

It’s easy to feel powerless in today’s complex world, but we’re not. Among the most important tools available to us to make change in our city, our county, our state and our country is through the ballot box. The moment for Marylanders to exercise that right is nearly upon us. The presidential primary election in Maryland is Tuesday, May 14, and those registered (or planning to register) as members of either the Republican or Democratic parties who wish to cast a vote should prepare now.