Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast is a lively mix of interviews about news, the arts, politics, science, history - all the topics and people that make Maryland such an interesting place to live and work. From 9 to 10 a.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, we reach from the Chesapeake Bay to the mountains for compelling conversations with people who make the news, and with people who cover it - including WYPR's own reporters. Maryland Morning is produced by Bruce Wallace, Katherine Gorman, and Lawrence Lanahan.
Maryland Morning wins Five Maryland SPJ Awards! June 25, 2009 - The Maryland Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists just announced their 2009 awards, and Maryland Morning won five of them. Here are the stories we won for:
Marc Steiner Special 1. Interview with Marc Steiner (10:03) 2. Interview with WYPR President Tony Brandon (9:17) 3. Interview with UMBC's Jason Loviglio and NPR's David Folkenflik (12:37) Mei Hong Lou: The Beautiful Red Building (6:42) Religious Music and Intolerance (12:05) Surviving Prostate Cancer (12:15) Maryland Morning Field Trip: The Gwynns Falls Trail (13:47)
Tom
Hall interviews Michael Kaiser, the President of the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts, about the impact of the recession on
local and national arts organizations. Recorded May 21, 2009.
Visit Frames of Mind, a weekly series on mental health issues in Maryland, supported by a grant from The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation. The War at Home: Four Marylanders reflect on the impact of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The series originally aired in March of 2009 to coincide with the 6th anniversary of that invasion.
For show ideas or feedback, email Maryland Morning. You can also call our listener comment line: 410-735-1600.
Click here to subscribe to Maryland Morning podcast. Please note: Audio links to each segment are available one business day after airing.
Friday, July 3, 2009
I'm Your (Box) Huckleberry Segment originally aired 3/25/09 Nathan Sterner treks through the woods of Maryland and Pennsylvania--and through the halls of a cloning operation at the National Arboretum--on the trail of what could be North America's oldest living thing.
The Town Crier Gets Possessive Segment originally aired 04/15/09 Is it Fells Point, or Fell's Point? Jack Trautwein is the official Town Crier for the neighborhood founded by William Fell. He offers a (semi-)official declaration on the punctuation of the Point.
The Preservation Society has three regular walking tours: Authentic Ghost Walk; The Secrets of the Seaport Walking Tour; and The Immigration Tour. In the fall Jack Trautwein teaches a "Secrets of a Seaport" Lecture Series on the history of Fell's Point. Beginning Oct 12th., taught by Jack Trautwein. Reservations for the Tours and lecture series; Call Barbara at 410-675-6750, Ext 16.
Towne Crier reads news of the day from 1814: Ten minute presentations will be in Market Square, the foot of Broadway, in Fell's Point, at 2:00 P.M.. The schedule is as follows: June 13th - August 16th Every Saturday and Sunday, August 17th – September 18th Daily
In the Bloodlines Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews Bloodlines, playing through Sunday at the Fells Point Corner Theatre. It’s part of this year’s Baltimore Playwrights Festival.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show Community Gardening (10:10) Originally aired June 11, 2007 Sheilah speaks with Jon Traunfeld, Director of the Home and Garden Information Center at the Maryland Cooperative Extension, and Kari Smith, Assistant Director of the Community Greening Stewardship Program at the Parks and People Foundation, about community gardening in urban and suburban spaces--and what residents should be aware of when harvesting their fruits and vegetables in the coming months.
Michael Kostroff (9:58) Originally aired October 8, 2007 Michael Kostroff, who played gang lawyer Maury Levy on HBO's The Wire, tells Sheilah about the lessons he's learned from his own acting career and the pitfalls of auditioning that he's experienced through the years. Kostroff teaches a workshop on mastering the audition called "Audition Psych 101," and he is the author of Letters from Backstage: The Adventures of a Touring Stage Actor.
Lafayette Gilchrist (14:32) Segment originally aired August 10. 2007 Tom talks to jazz pianist Lafayette Gilchrist about making music with his band, The New Volcanoes, and the difference between writing for that eight-piece group and a trio.
Lafayette Gilchrist will perform solo as part of Artscape's "Exotic Hypnotic" at 2 p.m. on Sunday July 19. On Saturday July 25, he will headline the Hamilton Street Festival with the New Volcanoes.
External Links: Lafayette Gilchrist at MySpace Hyena Records Hamilton Street Festival Exotic Hypnotic Tuesday, June 30, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show Something Afoot, Underfoot -- Baltimore's Plants and Climate Change (7:56) Segment originally aired June 30, 2008 It's not just you, it's hot in here! Global warming may be changing the world slowly, but researchers say that downtown Baltimore has the climate they expect the whole world to have in the future. That's why United States Department of Agriculture scientist Lewis H. Ziska came to Baltimore to study the effects of global warming climate on weeds. We talk with Tom Christopher, author of a New York Times Magazine article on Dr. Sizka's research.
King Lear: A Study in Aging (12:10) Segment originally aired September 7, 2007 Sheilah speaks with Dr. Bill Thomas, an international authority on geriatric medicine and a Professor in the Management of Aging Services at UMBC's Erickson School. They discuss the drama in Shakespeare's King Lear, and the modern day lessons that we can learn on the dramatic exchanges between parents and children in the transitions of retirement.
Reassessing King's Legacy (14:01) Segment originally aired January 21, 2008 Tom Hall is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Martin Luther King, Jr. biographer Taylor Branch to examine the various phases of Dr. King's legacy since his death in 1968, and to discuss what needs to be done to reaffirm King's vision.
Living Legacy (10:51) Originally aired July 28, 2008 A few years ago Erica McCullogh started an unusual cleaning company. Living Legacy Development is an environmentally friendly cleaning company that only hires students from Baltimore. Erica and one of her employee's Samera Mickey visited our studios last year to tell us about how cleaning can change lives. Living Legacy is having a development event at Little Havana restaurant, Thursday July 2nd at 6:00.
Medical Lessons from the Civil War (8:32) Originally aired June 30, 2007 We usually think of science and medicine as fields that are constantly marching forward that don't spend a lot of time looking at the past for guidance. But that’s not necessarily true! A while back we talked with George Wunderlich the executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, which is in Frederic Maryland. Not only are they a museum, but they train doctors in the lessons medicine can learn from the civil war. Recently, the Museum opened The Letterman Institute focused on teaching the medical lessons of the Battle of Antietam.
Ahoy Mr. Doctorow! (6:18) Originally aired April 13, 2006 E.L. Doctorow is one of our greatest story tellers. He came to the WYPR studios a few years ago when he received the lifetime literary achievement award from the Enoch Pratt Society. Tom talks with him about terrible writers, writing well and whaling.
A Fresh look at King Lear (6:03) J. Wynn Rousuck brings us a review of King Lear at DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company. It’s playing there through July 22.
Securing Cyberspace (12:00) Earlier this week the Pentagon announced that they've named Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, Cyber Security Commander. Based in Fort Meade, the creation of a Cyber Security Command is expected to be operational by the fall. Our resident technology and cyber issues expert, Mario Armstrong tells us what this means for the security of the internet and the future of war.
NOW, Now (8:03) Terry O'Neill finishes her job as Chief of Staff to Montgomery County Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg Thursday. In a few weeks she'll start her new job as President of the National Organization for Women. We talk to her about changes she's seen during her time in Montgomery County, and what changes she'll push for in her first months as the head of NOW.
Mayhem! Madness! Movies! (14:05) Mike Sragow, film critic for the Sun, and Jed Dietz, Director of the Maryland Film Festival join us in the studio to talk about this month's recent releases, everything's fair game from the sleepers to blockbusters. It's another no holds barred critic fest! External Links: Mike Sragow, Sun Jed Dietz, Maryland Film Festival
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show:
When Chickens are Scary (11:46) If you work in medicine, or spend a lot of time in hospitals, or just have a soft spot for the TV show House M.D., you probably know what MRSA is. If you don't, MRSA's what they call a "superbug"--a kind of bacteria that's extremely resistant to antibiotics. You usually find superbugs in hospitals, but it turns out that's not the only place the dwell. You can also find superbugs on big farms. Industrialized agriculture uses antibiotics in the everyday feed of chickens, pigs, and cows, and that use means that superbugs are developing and growing on farms around the country. Nathan talks to Dr. Ellen Silbergeld, a professor in the Environmental Health Sciences department at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, about this phenomenon and the risks it poses.
Web extras: Dr. Silbergeld on other policy changes she recommends (1:20) Dr. Silbergeld on other ways superbugs spread off chicken farms (1:47)
Health Care Hubbub (10:25) Just what is going on with health care up there on Capitol Hill? We get a little background and explanation of the situation from Jack Meyer, a principle researcher with Health Management Associates, a research group in Washington DC, and a professor in the schools of public policy and public health at the University of Maryland. Web Extra: Sheilah's full interview with Jack Meyer
Summer Reading Selections (9:07) Maryland author and journalist Alice Steinbach gives us her suggestions on summer reading. Everything from fiction by Alice Munro to a memoir from Diana Athill. These reads are guaranteed to make summer a breeze.
Cities Fighting Foreclosure with Litigation (11:14) Last year, Baltimore City sued Wells Fargo, seeking damages to redress crime, lost tax revenue, and other problems that the city says resulted in part from Wells Fargo foreclosing on homes in majority African-American neighborhoods. The city claims that Wells Fargo violated the Fair Housing Act with lending practices that disproportionately targeted minorities for subprime loans--in other words, reverse redlining. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Benson Legg will hold a hearing to determine whether the case can go forward. We spoke to law professor Ray Brescia, who has written extensively about cities using litigation to fight foreclosures and supports such measures, and to Baltimore City Solicitor George Nilson.
Wells Fargo spokesperson Kevin Waetke sent the following statements when we contacted the bank about joining this segment on the air:
- We are deeply disturbed by the inaccurate and inflammatory information the City is using, and the attention it has received. - We absolutely do not tolerate team members treating our customers or others disrespectfully or unfairly, or who violate our ethics and lending policies. We have principles, systems and processes team members must follow that ensure race is not a factor in the pricing and products we offer. - Wells Fargo's lending practices did not cause foreclosures or the problems the City claims are impacting its housing market. As the City states in its complaint, only 1% of the 33,000 foreclosures filed are associated with Wells Fargo. - We have worked extremely hard to make homeownership possible for more African-American borrowers and all customers, and we have done so fairly and responsibly. That includes seeking guidance from leaders in diverse communities who provide advice on how to best reach, educate and help borrowers with homeownership. - We believe that, based on the facts and the law, the lawsuit lacks merit.
When asked what part of the city's claims were inaccurate, Waetke wrote, "Specifically, the allegations of race as a factor in the loans we offer and how we price those loans. In addition, the city points to Wells Fargo contributing to the foreclosure issue in Baltimore when in fact approximately only 1 percent of the 33,000 foreclosures in the city have a tie to Wells Fargo."
Web extra (:41): Baltimore City Solicitor George Nilson talks about the possibility of appealing should Judge Legg move to dismiss.
Web extra (:42): Baltimore City claimed in its complaint against Wells Fargo that there have been 33,000 foreclosures in the city since 2000. Wells Fargo's statement claims that they are responsible for only about one percent of those foreclosures. In this web extra, Baltimore City Solicitor George Nilson says that in order to make that point, Wells Fargo is confounding bank foreclosures with city tax liens. (In this interview with the Charlotte Observer, however, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf points out that his company's 300 foreclosures pale in comparison to Baltimore filing tax liens against 19,000 of its residents' homes.)
The World Under the Red Sea (11:26) Imagine diving down into a pristine coral reef that has hasn't really been given a good look since Jacques Cousteau saw it 50 years ago. That's just what a couple folks from Maryland did in April, when the Living Oceans Foundation in Landover sent an expedition out to study the Farasan Banks coral reef off the coast of Saudi Arabia. Nathan talks to retired Navy captain Philip Renaud, Executive Director of the Living Oceans Foundation.
Summer (Sandwich) Lovin' (6:33) It's summer, the 4th is around the corner, and that means eating. A lot. Sascha Wolhandler, co-owner of Sascha's 527 restaurant in Baltimore, sings the praises of the summer sandwich--from favorites from abroad like banh mi and pain bagna, to ingredients to help you build your own classic.
Sascha's banh mi recipe Ingredients 1 Loaf French Bread Split 2 Cooked Chicken Breast Sliced 1 Tablespoon Five Spice Powder 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil 1 Daikon Radish Shredded 2 Carrots Shredded 1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar 1 Tablespoon Sugar 1 Tablespoon Asian Fish Sauce 1/2 Teaspoon Soy Sauce 2 Fresh Jalapenos Sliced 1/2 Red Onion Sliced Thinly 1/2 Cup of Cilantro 1/4 Cup of Mint
Preparation: Split Loaf of French Bread Toasted Lightly in the Oven Combine Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, and Paint Both Sides of the Bread Combine Rice Wine Vinegar and Sugar Mix Together the Shredded Daikon and Carrots and Toss with the Rice Wine Vinegar Mix Together Toss in the Mint and Cilantro with Carrots and Daikon Put Sliced Chicken Across the bread Sprinkle the Chicken with Five Spice Powder Top with sliced Jalapeno and the Sliced Onion Top with the Daikon Slaw Drizzle extra Daikon Slaw Liquid Over the Open Top of the French Bread Place Top on the Whole Mix and Cut into Four Sandwiches Wrap and Refrigerate for One Hour Serve; enjoy.
Canary in the Music Mine (10:22) Baltimorean Ian Nagoski just started a new label, Canary Records, to resuscitate early 20th century foreign language music from around the world. He dropped into the studios to spin a few of his favorites, including a song by two Indian women that he swears are sisters, and a South African hit that was covered by Louis Armstrong, Bill Haley and the Comets, and Lawrence Welk.
Ian will celebrate the Canary's first release, A String of Pearls, this Friday night at 2640 in Charles Village. He'll play original 78 RPM records of early 20th Century music from Serbia, Cairo, and other far-flung places and discuss the history behind the songs.
Summertime, and the Learnin' is Not Easy (12:17) The achievement gap between students from lower-income families and their better-off peers grows significantly between first and fifth grade, but don't blame it all on the schools. Research by Johns Hopkins sociologist Karl Alexander shows rich and poor students making similar gains during the school year. Summer's the problem: children with wealthier families--and presumably better learning resources--pull ahead.
We talk to Karl Alexander about the role of family life in academic achievement, and to National Center for Summer Learning policy analyst Ashley Stewart about his efforts to set up enriching, all-day summer activities in Baltimore.
Web extra: Karl Alexander on why summer programs are more effective year after year, not just "one and done" (:47)
Web extra: Karl Alexander on the prospects of American school systems extending their school years to match other countries (1:04)
Web extra: Ashley Stewart talks about trying to get the school system, Department of Recreation and Parks, and community organizations to coordinate summer programs (3:42)
Web extra: Ashley Stewart talks about summer learning programs in other Maryland counties (:42)
Actors In the Confederate Flaglers get dressed in costume. Photography courtesy of Philip Laubner.
Extreme Filmmaking (7:28) Last weekend, teams of filmmakers all over the country and all over the world participated in the 48 Hour Film Project. Their goal? To make a movie in only two days. Maryland Morning Producer Katherine Gorman brings us the story of one of Baltimore's intrepid teams. You can see the film they produced, and all the other films produced in only 48 hours, at the 48 Hour Film Project screening nights at the Charles on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:15 and 9:30. Information here.
Web Extra: Watch a slide show of pictures from the shoot! Produced by Katherine Gorman, Photos Philip Laubner
The Everyday on Display (6:42) Leah Cooper is an artist whose work blends found object, sculpture, and drawing. She has just finished a graduate degree at The Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work, along with that of ten of her colleagues in MICA's Studio Art program, is part of a thesis exhibition that opens June 29 in MICA's Fox Building.
The Fine Art of Competition (7:09) The Windup Space in the Station North neighborhood in Baltimore has a new art exhibit and, if you're one of those competitive art gallery goers, it might be just the thing for you. The show is called "VS", as in "versus", and it explores the themes of competition and conflict. Tom talks to the exhibits co-curators, Aaron Yamada and Sean Murray.
The Heat around Frederick's Waste Incinerator Proposal (12:25) In Frederick County, debate is once again heating up about heating trash up. A proposal for a trash incinerator that would handle refuse from Frederick and Carroll counties has been talked about since at least 2005. At the end of April, as opponents of the plan grew increasingly vocal, the Frederick Board of County Commissioners voted to study alternatives. Now the Commissioners are set to vote on the issue as early as Tuesday. Nathan talks to Frederick County Commissioner Kai Hagen who opposes the incinerator, and Commissioner Charles Jenkins who supports the plan.
Web extra: Full interview with Commissioners Hagen and Jenkins.
Stories From Inside the NICU (14:20 - the last minute of this segment is devoted to a listener letter) Few worlds are more emotionally intense than the one inside a neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Christine Gleason, former Chief of Neonatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and current Chief of Neonatology at Seattle Children's Hospital, has written a book called Almost Home: Stories of Hope and the Human Spirit in the Neonatal ICU. Tom talks to Dr. Gleason, and to Denise Koch, who spent the first few weeks of her twin daughters' lives in the NICU.
The GBMC Father's Day 5K and One-Mile Fun Run starts at 8 a.m. Sunday at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson. Denise Koch will host the run, and proceeds will benefit the GBMC NICU. You can register at the Charm City Run website.
Web extra: Tom asks Dr. Gleason and Denise Koch about "Octomom" Nadya Suleman and what happens when in vitro fertilization results in more babies than parents expected.
Web extra: Dr. Gleason explains why the emotional intensity of her profession has not resulted in a shortage of neonatologists.
Web extra: Denise Koch shares two stories from the NICU - one sad, and one happy.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show
Short Sales (11:05) Hey homeowners: Do you know how much you owe on your mortgage? How about what your house is worth? If the former is more than the latter, you're underwater...along with 12 percent of all other Maryland homeowners. You may have heard the term "short sale" being thrown around lately--that's when you sell the house for less than you owe, and the lender picks up the difference. But getting lenders on board is, obviously, not easy. Sheilah talks to Anne Balcer Norton, Director of Foreclosure Prevention at St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, and Carolyn Blanchard Cook, Deputy Executive Vice President of the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, about short sales.
We didn't manage to get a lender to talk to us by the time this segment aired, but if you want to understand short sales from the lender's side, you could contact the Maryland Mortgage Bankers Association.
Web extra: Anne Balcer Norton talks about potential complications that sellers might encounter during the short sale process, including being taxed on the amount of debt forgiven, receiving a bad mark on a credit report, and promissory notes that mortgage insurers sometimes spring on borrowers at closing.
The Long View of Aging: Walk This Way (7:10) We revisit the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging with its director Dr. Luigi Ferrucci. We get into the issue of frailty and how you can tell a person might be experiencing early aging by observing their walking speed.
Reading Lips (9:04) Diane Scharper and her son, ophthalmologist Philip Scharper, M.D., are the editors of a new book from Loyola College-based Apprentice House called Reading Lips and Other Ways to Overcome a Disability. It is a collection of essays by people who are dealing with their own disabilities or those of someone close to them. The essays were entered in the first Helen Keller Foundation International Memoir Writing Competition.
The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore hosts a reading with Diane and Philip Scharper on Saturday June 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: 6080 Falls Road, 410-377-2966.
Opinionsourcing: Now in a Newspaper Near You (8:45) This weekend, The Baltimore Sun added another voice in the ongoing conversation about the role of the citizen in journalism. "Maryland Voices," a reworking of the Sun's editorial and op-ed pages launched on Sunday, aims to "provide an open forum, using both old and new technology, to encourage a community dialogue about the issues that are important in our lives." We talk to Andy Green, the Sun's Opinion Editor, about how they're doing this, and why.
Putting the Hon in Attila, Taking the Charm Out of the City, it's...Baltimore Rats! (11:51) Charm City's charm stops at its rat populations. But Johns Hopkins University Professor Greg Glass is entranced by the nibbling nightmares. By studying DNA similarities found in rat populations across the city, he's learned how they move and--more important for humans--how they might spread disease. Professor Glass talks with Nathan Sterner about what he's discovered and some of his more colorful encounters with our rodent neighbors.
Temo: Faceless Voices (8:45) Temo's first collection of stories, Faceless Voices, centers on life in her native Africa. The book is also the transplanted Marylander's first self published work. Temo talks with Tom about her work, her life, and comparisons between her home and the West.
Cyrano: The Long and Short of It (4:28) Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's production of Cyrano. It's up through June 27.
Land Bank Authority, Part Deux (14:40) No image in Baltimore tells the story of the city's blight and economic dysfunction more vividly than a block of vacant rowhouses. There are 30,000 vacant properties in Baltimore, and the city owns about 10,000 of them. Mayor Sheila Dixon believes a quasi-governmental non-profit "Land Bank Authority" will be able to buy and sell the vacants more quickly than the current multi-agency process. But critics worry that the move would lack sufficient oversight.
When Mayor Dixon sent her proposal to the City Council in January, Sheilah talked to Housing Authority of Baltimore City executive director Paul Graziano and Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors executive vice president and Land Bank Authority Task Force member Jody Landers.
Today, Sheilah revisits their conversation, then talks to two people with specific criticisms of the plan: Eric Siegel, journalist-in-residence at Johns Hopkins' Institute for Policy Studies and former Baltimore Sun reporter, and Josh Civin, vice president of the Citizens Planning and Housing Association and a member of the Land Bank Authority Task Force.
Web extra: Josh Civin and Eric Siegel discuss how a Land Bank Authority might be funded (2:50)
The Taxation, Finance, and Economic Development Committee of the Baltimore City Council will hold a hearing on the Land Bank Authority legislation Wednesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. in the Du Burns Council Chamber on the fourth floor of City Hall. TV25 will air the hearing live.
Shawn Chapman boards up a building in East Baltimore.
Board Talk (4:50) Segment originally aired July 18, 2008 on American Public Media's Marketplace Money, as part of their "Day in the Work Life" series. Produced by Lawrence Lanahan and Stephen Hoffman.
Shawn Chapman knows more about vacant houses than most Baltimoreans. As a laborer for Baltimore's Department of Public Works, he used to spend every day on a boarding crew, putting plywood up over the windows and doors of vacant properties. We present Shawn Chapman in his own words.
Too Much Sea (12:45) We've got some news that, frankly, isn't so great. Sea levels are rising, the land is sinking, and, worldwide, these phenomena might be most pronounced right here on the East Coast of the United States. A recent article in the Washington Post looks at three scientific studies from this year that detail the particular threat sea level rise poses to the East Coast, and the science driving that threat. We talk to David Fahrenthold, the author of the article, and James Titus, Project Director for Sea Level Rise at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Web extra: James Titus on Maryland's Living Shorelines Act.
So Much Wind Segment originally aired September 9, 2009 (7:23) In advance of Global Wind Day on Monday, we re-visit a discussion from the fall about the Mid-Atlantic Wind Energy study. This 2007 study by Stanford and University of Delaware researchers laid out how Maryland and eight other Mid-Atlantic states could meet all of their electricity needs with wind power. We'll talk to one of the study's authors, Willett Kempton, a professor at the University of Delaware's College of Marine and Earth Studies.
Too Much Sun (8:16) Seven years ago, WJZ anchor Sally Thorner saw what she thought was a tick on her skin. It wasn't--and since that day, she's had several surgeries for non-invasive melanoma. Most damage leading to melanoma happens before the age of 18, so Sally wrote a children's book with her dermatologist, Dr. Mona Mofid at Johns Hopkins, to educate children about the dangers of too much sun. Tom talks to Sally about Franny and Freddy Get Fried and how you can prevent melanoma.
Spring Awakening: Just Right? (6:34) Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck tells Tom Hall about the production of Spring Awakening, running through June 21 at the Hippodrome in Baltimore
The Long View on Aging (10:30) The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, or BLSA, is getting on in years. Last year was its 50th anniversary. This morning we take a look at what the BSLA has taught us about healthy aging with its current director, Dr. Luigi Ferrucci (who is only a few years older than the study).
Helping Immigrant Families Reunite (09:55) Comparatively few immigrant children actually arrive with their parents. Studies show that, at least for children immigrating from Latin America, the majority were separated from their parents on the way. Sheilah talks to UMBC economics professor Tim Gindling, who recently co-authored a research brief on the impact of that separation and subsequent family reunion on these students’ education, and Ramona Bock, who was involved in a counseling program that focused specifically on family reunification issues at Northwestern High School in Prince George's County.
Web Extra : Tim Gindling and Ramona Bock tell Sheilah about policies they believe could mitigate the problems stemming from immigrant family separation.
Sports Authority! (09:08) Mark Hyman is back in our studios to talk with Tom about sports! Finals season is in full swing: the Wings and 'Guins are fighting for the Stanley Cup, while the O's battle it out here at home, and the NBA promises a nail biter of a championship. Mark and Tom talk about favorites and underdogs for this season finals.
Zell's Bells? (08:13) The bankruptcy proceedings for the Tribune Company continue to creep along, making the future of the news chain, including the Baltimore Sun, murky at best. The Chicago Tribune reported this week that a plan to shift control of the company to a group of creditors may be taking shape. We talk to Michael O'Neal, the Tribune reporter who wrote the article, about what the reorganization would mean for newspapers and for Sam Zell, Tribune Company's current chair.
Apiculture: The Bees' Knees (11:05) Beekeeping seems to be swarming over the free state. We talked with Jerry Fischer, chief apiarist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Mark Hoffman, vice president of the Maryland State Beekeepers' Association, about bees and how to keep them.
External Links: Maryland Department of Natural Resources site on Apiary Inspection Maryland State Beekeepers' Association Humane Society (14:30 - the last 2 minutes of this segment are devoted to listener letters) What do the Jones Falls, methadone, and deindustrialization have in common? You can find out Thursday at a conference called Humane Metropolis Baltimore. According to the conference organizers, environmental, social, and economic problems must be considered as part of one system if cities are to become more livable. Tom Hall talks to two of the organizers: Rutherford H. Platt, editor of a collection of essays called The Humane Metropolis: People and Nature in the 21st Century, and Jacqueline Carrera, president and CEO of the Parks and People Foundation.
Humane Metropolis Baltimore is Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Maryland Historical Society. It's free and open to the public, although it's currently at capacity. To get on the waiting list, e-mail lincolninstitute@resource-plus.com or call 1-888-845-8759.
D-Day: Governor O'Malley in Europe (09:26) Governor O'Malley spent the weekend in Normandy as a guest of the 29th Infantry Division Association to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. The governor is still in Europe, and this morning he calls Sheilah from Bosnia.
Rethinking Neural Re-growth (11:22) New research by the Maryland biotech firm, Neuralstem, has earned them a patent for chemicals that that can make the brain grow new brain cells. We should note that growing more brain cells will not make you any smarter...but it could offer treatments for people suffering from a stroke, or Alzheimer's disease, or major depression. To find out more, we talked to Richard Garr, he's the President and CEO of Neuralstem.
Writing Outside the Fence (13:52) At Mondawmin Mall, Baltimore's Office of Employment Development has a Re-entry center where ex-offenders can find transitional housing, get job counseling, learn about their health care options, and...brush up on their fiction-writing techniques. Since April 2006, a writing workshop there called Writing Outside the Fence has attracted ex-offenders and other Baltimore residents.
Tom talks to Baari Shabazz and Barbara Redfearn, who will be part of a Writing Outside the Fence reading at 6 p.m. tomorrow evening at Poe Room at the Enoch Pratt Central Library on Cathedral St.
Web extra: Barbara Redfearn reads her story, "Remembering Aunt Maggie's Perfume" (2:19) Baari Shabazz reads his story, "Keeping All Your Marbles" (3:57)
Friday, June 5, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Chrysler and Gansler: The Next Chapter in Chapter 11 (09:08) Chrysler wants to shut down 789 dealerships to help itself out of bankruptcy. Maryland Attorney Douglas Gansler says Chrysler's method of shutting the 17 dealerships in the Free State ignores state franchising laws. Gansler tells Sheilah why he joined Ohio and Illinois in filing an objection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York to keep local dealerships from closing.
Maryland Muslims on Obama's "New Beginning" (10:57) In his speech yesterday at Egypt's Cairo University, President Obama acknowledged that he spoke at a time of tension between America and the world's Muslim communities, but said that he sought "a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world".
International media including The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, and the BBC are reporting positive popular and official response to the speech. To get a sense for how President Obama's speech sounded to some local members of the Muslim community, Sheilah talks to Dr. Bash Pharoan, President of the Baltimore Chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; and Bassam Sayad of the Islamic Society of Baltimore.
Web extras: More from Sheilah's conversation with Bash Pharoan and Bassam Sayad Pharoan and Sayad talk about their oganizations and their families' origins
Charles Village: a Peek into the Past (14:19) Charles Village is the Baltimore neighborhood that includes, among other things, the Johns Hopkins University Campus, the original site of Goucher College, and the studios of WYPR. In 2008, the American Planning Association dubbed it one of the 10 Great Neighborhoods in America. A new book called A Brief History of Charles Village chronicles the evolution of this historic area from a country retreat to a vibrant, bustling city neighborhood. Gregory Alexander and Paul Williams co-authored the book, and just in time for the Charles Village festival they stop by our studios to talk with Tom.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Red Line: We Foresee 4C (12:37) The Maryland Transit Administration wants to add an east-west Red Line to Baltimore's transit system. Whether it goes above ground or below ground, whether it's bus or light rail, and where it ends up on the map all have yet to be decided. The MTA submitted a dozen alternative routes for public comment, and alternative 4C--light rail running down Edmondson Avenue and Boston Street and tunneling under downtown--seems to have the most momentum.
The next step for MTA is to recommend one of the alternatives to Governor O'Malley. Kelly Clifton, associate professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Maryland and research faculty at the National Center for Smart Growth, joins Sheilah to talk about the future of the Red Line, and then we hear from some supporters and opponents of alternative 4C:
- Don Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee; - Warren Smith, president of the Greater West Hills Community Association and a member of the Citizens Advisory Council for Red Line; - Carolyn Boitnott of the Waterfront Coalition in Canton; and - Nate Payer, vice president of the Transit Riders Action Council of Metropolitan Baltimore
Web extras: Full Don Fry interview Full Carolyn Boitnott interview Full Warren Smith interview Full Nate Payer interview
The Red Line Citizens' Advisory Council meets June 11 at Edmondson-Westside High School in Baltimore. The meeting is open to the public -- more information here.
"They Can't Break Our Spirits with Foam Weapons" (9:36) It's summer, and baseball season is in full swing. But if you prefer a broadsword and shield to a bat and a glove, you are not alone. The members of Darkon Wargaming Club spend many weekends in fields around Maryland advancing elaborate plots in imagined realms. And they do it with weapons made out of foam. Maryland Morning contributor Justin Lucas brings us the story
Hall with Hahn and Higdon (10:03) Three of the most distinguished women in classical music will collaborate this weekend when Marin Alsop conducts the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in the east coast premiere of a new Violin Concerto by Jennifer Higdon, featuring the acclaimed violinist Hilary Hahn. Jennifer Higdon's orchestral masterpiece, "Blue Cathedral", has been performed by more than 150 orchestras since its premiere 9 years ago, and her music is performed frequently by orchestras, choruses, and chamber musicians around the world. Hilary Hahn, who is a Baltimore native, travels the globe as one of the world's most sought-after soloists, and as an artist who has done much to engage young audiences in the often rarified world of classical music. Tom Hall talks to Higdon and Hahn join me in the studio.
Playing Catch-up on Substance Abuse (10:37) 467 billion dollars is just slightly less than the Pentagon spent last year, it's two-thirds the size of the federal stimulus package, and, according to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University released on Thursday, it's the amount that local, state, and federal governments spent on substance abuse and addiction in 2005. But the report says only two percent of that government spending, less than $10 billion, goes to prevention, treatment, and research.
In Maryland, the report says, out of every dollar the state spends on anything, 14 cents go for expenses related to drug, alcohol or tobacco use - and less than a penny is spent for prevention, treatment and research. We talk to Joseph A. Califano, Jr., founder and chair of CASA and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Maryland's Energy Conservation Quandary (09:32) There have been warnings for a while now about looming electricity shortages in Maryland - the most frequent estimates place this danger about two years away. Governor O'Malley's EmPOWER Maryland initiative, launched in 2007, set a goal of reducing energy consumption in the state by 15 percent by the year 2015. A recent series on the news website Maryland Commons looks at how far the Old Line State has come towards achieving those goals - and how far it has to go. Sheilah talks to Carrie Madren, the author of the series.
Dirty Projectors in Salty Balty (07:58) This Saturday, Metro Gallery celebrates its second anniversary with an all day music festival, and one of the highlights will be Brooklyn's Dirty Projectors. Head Projector Dave Longstreth has formal training in composition and is open to influence from all genres and cultures. The resulting sound is unique and catchy, and the band has recently collaborated with other genre-defying artists like Bjork and David Byrne. Maryland Morning producer Lawrence Lanahan talked to Longstreth and brings us this preview of the Dirty Projectors' new album, Bitte Orca, which comes out next Tuesday.
Wittenberg (05:57) Before Hamlet there was Wittgenberg. This cover's the Danish prince's undergrad years, during which he studied with Dr. Faustus and Martin Luther and majored in, um, indecision. Wittgenberg is a satirical play imagined as a prequel to Hamlet; it's being performed through June 14 by the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck tells Tom Hall about it.
Gay Marriage: Where Maryland Fits (10:46) Many headlines about same-sex marriage recently: the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and the next day two high-profile lawyers challenged the ruling in a federal suit that may go to the Supreme Court. Same-sex marriage is legal in five states. Maryland is not one them--and although the chair of the state Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee intends to co-sponsor legislation to legalize gay marriage, he says he doesn't think the votes are there to get it past his committee. Seems like a good time to assess where Maryland fits in to the national picture of same-sex marriage that's changing daily. Kate Runyon, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, and Jonathan Rauch, visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution and senior writer for National Journal magazine join us to do just that.
Out of Sight but Definitely on Our Minds (09:47) If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Flight? Invisibility? Awesome claws, the ability to heal your self super fast, crazy hair and a series of movies in which you're portrayed by Hugh Jackman? While you might not be able to achieve those without the aid of gamma rays, mutant genes or a fantastic publicist, science might be able to help! Professor Vera Smolyaninova of Towson University is part of a team working on creating an invisibility cloak one hundred times bigger than any cloaking device created before! Nathan talks with the professor about her research and what it means for the future of hiding things.
DeMargio House and Erika Rose play Darnell and Claire in The Soul Collector. Photo by Stan Barouh, courtesy of Everyman Theatre.
The Soul Collector (13:46) The Everyman Theatre has the world premiere of David Emerson Toney's The Soul Collector through June 21. Tom Hall talks to the Washington, D.C. playwright about his latest comedy.
Then theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the play.
Mayor Dixon: Now Less Indicted (10:26) Circuit Court Judge Dennis M. Sweeney dismissed four perjury charges and one misconduct charge yesterday, along with dismissing the entire case against City Councilwoman Helen Holt. We talk about the legal reasoning behind the decision with Michael Schatzow, partner at Venable LLP and former Assistant U.S. Attorney for Maryland; and David Gray, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Law School.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (09:16) The idea that became Annie, one of the most popular musicals of all time, was born in a bookstore 38 years ago. Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck talks to Martin Charnin, the person who had the idea, and remains a driving force behind the production. Annie is at the Hippodrome in Baltimore tonight through Sunday.
Web extra: J. Wynn Rousuck asks Martin Charnin about Annie and the current political climate, about a new song in the musical, and about what else he's working on now.
Summer Flicks (13:46) It's that time again! Jed Dietz of the Maryland Film Festival and Mike Sragow, film critic for the Baltimore Sun, head into the studios with Tom to talk about this summer's sizzling movies. From UP! to Anvil, we'll talk bout which movies you should run to see and which ones will make you run for the exits.
Crime and the Recession (10:24) Yesterday's Baltimore Sun reported that crime is down by nine percent in Baltimore. Some might be surprised that the crime rate is dropping during a recession. But Doug Ward, director of Johns Hopkins University's Division of Public Safety Leadership, says there are too many variables involved to attribute the crime rate to the economy, or even to policing strategies. Sheilah talks to Doug Ward and Sun crime reporter Justin Fenton.
Who Decides if You Can't (10:06) An advance directive is a document that explains a person's wishes regarding medical care, so it's set out for a time when they can't make decisions or communicate their wishes. You might not like to think about them; we don't particularly like to think about them, but they'e pretty important.
Many of us don't plan for this in advance, so the decisions often fall health care providers, family members, or lawyers. We talk to two experts on Maryland's laws regarding advance directives, Howard Sollins, principal at Ober Kaler law firm and co-author of a new website MarylandAdvanceDirectives.com; and Jason Frank, a partner at Frank, Frank, and Scherr, an elder law firm in Lutherville.
Leonard Pitts: Before I Forget (09:33) The main character in Leonard Pitts' first novel Before I Forget, is a self loathing one hit wonder musician. Faced with the specter of memory loss through early onset Alzheimer's he sets off on a trip across the country with his son to care for his father who is losing the last rounds of a fight with cancer. Tom Talks with Leonard about his book and his writing process.
Volunteer Cafe, June 2, 6 p.m. Teavolve Cafe & Lounge, Baltimore E-mail Candace Baker [cbaker@bvumaryland.org] or call 410-366-7571 x214 for reservations
Polish Festival, May 29 through May 31 Patterson Park at Linwood and Eastern avenues, Baltimore For a list of all this summer's ethnic festivals, visit the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
Going Really Really Green (09:13) Exhortations to "go green" are everywhere in this economy, but few cities seem to be taking "green" as much to heart as Annapolis. Maryland's capital has developed a plan to produce as much energy as it consumes, locally and sustainably. The man behind this plan is Bob Agee, acting Director of Public Works. We ask him just how he plans to do this.
Tough Times on the High Seas (11:14) Just what do you do when you're shipwrecked at sea? Your options are limited and all of them unsavory. We talk with Evan Balkan, author of Shipwrecked! Deadly Adventures and Disasters at Sea, about how to survive (or not) on the high seas.
Time Out at 50 (13:44) In the jazz world, 1959 was a year of trailblazing. John Coltrane released Giant Steps. Ornette Coleman released The Shape of Jazz to Come. Miles Davis released Kind of Blue. That year, pianist Dave Brubeck released Time Out--an album of modern jazz refracted through odd time signatures and classical allusions. It got some bad reviews initially, but 50 years later it's one of the best selling and most influential jazz records in history. Dave Brubeck tells Tom Hall some of the stories behind his quartet's landmark record.
The War at Home: Corporal Dale Allan Burger, Jr. (12:11) Segment originally aired March 20, 2009 Martina Burger of Churchville, Maryland, remembers her son, Dale Allan Burger, Jr., a Marine who was killed in Iraq in November of 2004.
CRISP in Maryland (10:03) Segment Originally aired March 3, 2009 On Tuesday Gov. O'Malley signed a bill that encourages doctors to move from paper to electronic records. And beyond the switch from clipboard to computer, the new law encourages hospitals to set up an exchange so they can electronically share information about patients with doctors and with each other.
Such a system could allow lighting-fast communication in an emergency. But it also raises questions about privacy. The state has asked two groups to work on developing the system. In March we talked to people involved in one of the proposals, The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients, or CRISP.
Dr. Mark Keleman, a cardiologist, is the chief medical information officer at the University of Maryland Medical System. And David Horrocks, project leader for CRISP, is Senior Vice President at Erickson Retirement Communities. They talked with us about what CRISP does and what it means for the future of medical records in Maryland.
Love Me Tender, Zibbideedoopaloobopbeebop, Love Me True (08:11) Segment originally aired May 16, 2008 Jazz legend and Baltimore resident Cyrus Chestnut reinterprets the Presley songbook on his latest album, Cyrus Plays Elvis. Tom Hall asks Cyrus what it takes to make the King swing.
Leave the Light On (06:06) Maryland Morning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews Legacy of Light, playing through June 14 at the Arena Stage in Arlington, VA.
Good Whistles make Good Government The U.S. government spends a lot of money. Its budget for the last few years has hovered between $2.5 and 4 trillion dollars. This year the stimulus plan has added dollars and urgency to this spending. And with great expenditure comes...great opportunity for waste, abuse, and fraud. A bill co-sponsored by Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen aims to make it safer for government employees to speak out when they see such things. It's called the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009. Sheilah talks to Representative Van Hollen about the bill and about other news from the capital.
From Iwo Jima to Baghdad: Remembering Our Fallen On Monday, Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens will honor Maryland's fallen with its annual Memorial Day ceremony. Rear Admiral Edgar Keats (Ret.), who served as the Air Officer to the Commander Amphibious Force Pacific during World War II, will be the keynote speaker. He tells Sheilah stories about the battle for Iwo Jima and how America's perception of the military has changed since then.
The Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Monday in the Circle of the Immortals, Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. It is open and free to the public.
The ceremony will honor soldiers with links to Maryland who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since last Memorial Day, including:
- Lt. Col. James J. Walton, Rockville, MD - Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann, Great Mills, MD - Staff Sgt. David L. Paquet, Rising Sun, MD - Capt. Jesse Melton, III, Randallstown, MD - Col. Michael R. Stahlman, Chevy Chase, MD - Pvt. Charles Y. Barnett, Bel Air, MD - Master Sgt. Anthony Davis, Deerfield Beach, FL, raised in Baltimore, MD - Capt. Brian M. Bunting, Potomac, MD - Sgt. James R. McIlvaine, Olney, MD
Tomorrow, Baltimore County will hold its first Memorial Day parade and festival. The parade starts at 9 a.m. at Liberty and Milford Mill roads. The festival will run until 6 p.m. at Milford Mill Academy, 3800 Washington Avenue.
Web extra: Rear Admiral Keats (Ret.) shares a personal recollection about being put on the spot by Navy Secretary James Forrestal on a ship bearing down on Iwo Jima.
Web extra: Rear Admiral Keats (Ret.) discusses how the rivalry between the various armed forces changed from World War II to today.
Baltimore's East Side, Seen and Heard Baltimore's East Side has been the subject of a good bit of controversy over the past few years, as business development has displaced many longtime residents. Disagreements abound about how changes to the topography, the economy and the social structures of the neighborhood known as "Middle East" will affect the future of this historic area. A new exhibit of photographs and aural histories at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture examines the history of the East Side. It's called "East Side Stories: Portraits of a Baltimore Neighborhood, Then and Now". Tom talks to Dr. David Terry, the Director of the Lewis Museum; and Elizabeth Barbush, one of the photographers whose work is on display and Program Director with Art on Purpose.
There is a Book Release Part for Middle East Baltimore Stories, with photographs and interviews by Elizabeth Barbush on May 30, from 2-6 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. More information here.
Web extra Middle East residents talk about the neighborhood
Government of Which People? Somerset County on the Eastern Shore has the highest percentage of African Americans of any Eastern Shore county. In fact only two places in the state--Prince George's County and Baltimore City--have higher percentages of African-American residents. Yet a report released yesterday by the ACLU of Maryland and the Somerset County Branch of the NAACP alleges that African Americans are remarkably absent from positions in the County's government. We talk to Debora Jeon, legal director of the ACLU of Maryland, about the report. Then we talk to Kenneth Ballard, who was president of the Somerset County NAACP for 12 years, to get his reaction to the report.
Harford County: Going on a Blender? Some Maryland counties have elected school boards. Other counties' boards are appointed by the Governor. Thanks to a bill signed yesterday by Governor O'Malley, Harford County will switch from an appointed board to a "blended" board--three appointed, six elected. We hear from Cindy Mumby, a local PTA member who advocated for an elected board, and Mark Wolkow, an appointed member of the Harford County Board of Education. Then we turn to Abe Feuerstein, a professor of education at Bucknell University, for some analysis on how this rare blended board might work.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Burger Butter outside. Cheese inside. Dunked in ice water. Turkey Burger with cumin, chipotle, chili powder. Bison burger. Lamb burger with grilled eggplant and olive tapenade. Tuna burger. In brioche. Topped with Brie. Don't forget onions. With roasted peppers. With grilled avocadoes. With Bacon. Tom talks burgers with Sascha Wolhandler, co-owner of Sascha's 527 Restaurant in Baltimore.
Two Ways Lamb Burger 11/2 lb. of ground lamb 1 cloved minced fresh garlic 1 tbsp mango chutney 1 in. piece of fresh ginger grated 1 tsp of cumin crushed Pinch of cayenne Veggie oil for glaze Salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients together and softly form into 6 patties. Grill to desired temperature.
Tuna Burger 1 1/2 lb. of ffresh top grade quality tuna 2 Scallions 1/2 Garlic minced 1tsp. Teriyaki sauce 2tsp. Chopped cilantro salt and pepper Veggie oil for glaze
Chop the tuna in a food processor, put all the ingredients together and chill for one hour, form into 6 patties, grill to desired temperature, glaze with teriyaki sauce
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar This week, Tom is joined by Alex Hyman, winner of a spot on the calendar in WYPR's online auction.
Music in the Valley conducted by Jonathan Carney, May 24, 5:30p.m. St. John's Episcopal, Glyndon For tickets: Telephone 410-833-5300 Tickets: $20 and $10 for student
Pauline Menes Remembered Former delegate Pauline Menes passed away on Sunday. We remember the founder and first chair of the Maryland Women's Caucus with her colleagues Senator Ben Cardin and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
Tackling the SAT Thousands of high-school juniors in Maryland have taken the SAT in the last few months, and more will take it in June. Safe to say that many of them, and their parents, have stomachs tied in knots from anxiety over the test. Ned Johnson, who runs a Rockville company that tutors kids for the college-admissions tests, has co-written a book that says the SAT is designed to make kids nervous. The book is Conquering the SAT: How Parents Can Help Teens Overcome the Pressure and Succeed. We talk with Johnson about just how that can be achieved.
George Catlin's painting "Ball Play of the Choctaw--Ball Up" A Little Like Sport, A Little Like War Last weekend, Maryland teams had mixed results in the NCAA Division I lacrosse quarter-finals. The University of Maryland women beat Syracuse and they will advance to the final four; the College Park men's team lost to Syracuse. Johns Hopkins lost to UVA, and they lost big. Their 19-8 trouncing on Sunday may soon become the stuff of legends.
Long before people were telling tales about NCAA lacrosse, though, there was a vibrant tradition of legend among the American Indians who created the game. Thomas Vennum, senior ethnomusicologist emeritus at the Center for Folklife Programs at the Smithsonian Institution chronicles this tradition in his book Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans, and in an earlier book American Indian Lacrosse: Little Brother of War. He talked to Tom Hall from his home in Wisconsin.
Web extras: Vennum on the connection between lacrosse and war in American Indian culture Vennum on the legend He Who Wears Human Heads for Earrings Defeats the Giants Vennum's theory about how Indian lacrosse equipment is partially responsible for Maryland's obsession with lacrosse
Don't Mess with Texas, not even with its Musicals Maryland Morning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck tells Tom Hall about two musicals by Michael John LaChiusa--Giant and See What I Wanna See. The former bills itself as a "Texas-Sized Musical". Both are playing now at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.
You Might Feel a Little Pinch: Health Costs in Maryland The Obama administration's efforts to reform and expand health care in America got a boost last week when a group of industry leaders promised to reign in health costs to the tune of $2 trillion over the next 10 years. Meanwhile in Maryland on Wednesday, the commission that regulates hospital charges allowed a 1.77 percent increase for the fiscal year beginning in July. Jay Hancock, business columnist for the Baltimore Sun, joins Sheilah to talk about what this means for the people who pay for health care, and to consider where Maryland fits in the national push for health care reform.
City Neighbors Students, 2008-2009 (courtesy Bobbi Macdonald)
Baltimore versus Brown V. Board Baltimore has one of the most segregated school systems in the nation. Northeast Baltimore, however, has one of the most integrated schools in the city. City Neighbors Charter School is just about half white, half black. Sheilah talks to co-founder Bobbi Macdonald and fifth grade teacher Shane Bennett about how the school became so integrated and how the students benefit from the diversity.
Work Hard. Be Nice. Go to College. The KIPP Ujima Village Academy has been ranked as the highest performing public middle school in the city of Baltimore since it opened in 2002. It's part of a network of 66 KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools nationwide whose mission is to move low-income students all the way through four-year colleges. Tom talks to Jason Botel, KIPP Baltimore's executive director, and Jay Mathews, Washington Post education columnist and author of Work Hard, Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America.
Thursday night, The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum hosts "An Evening with Jay Mathews and KIPP Baltimore," a fundraiser to benefit KIPP Baltimore. For tickets, e-mail Nicole Yeftich [nyeftich@kippbaltimore.org] or call 410-367-0807. More information here.
Web extra: The rest of Tom's interview with Jason Botel and Jay Mathews.
The Topeka State Journal from May 17, 1954 Dis-integration (11:39) It was 55 years ago Sunday that the United States Supreme Court took the bold step of ordering the racial integration of American public schools in Brown v. Board of Education. Maryland schools--Baltimore in particular--remain some of the most heavily segregated in the country. Sheilah speaks to Dr. Gary Orfield, a leading researcher on school segregation and the co-founder of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA, about why school systems continue to resegregate. Also joining the conversation is Michael Corbin, an occasional City Paper contributor who taught in Baltimore City public schools and now teaches in Maryland's correctional system at Baltimore's Metropolitan Transition Center.
Web extra: Gary Orfield explains why his current education research presages what the 2010 Census will tell us about segregation in the suburbs.
Web extra: The rest of Sheilah's conversation with Gary Orfield and Michael Corbin.
The Roots of Stem Cell Funding (08:34) The world of stem cell research has changed a lot since the last time the Maryland Stem Cell Commission picked scientists to get state money: two months ago, President Obama pledged to lift federal restrictions on funding human embryonic stem-cell research; the National Institutes of Health is working on regulations to do that. Meanwhile, the Maryland legislature cut the budget of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission. Still, the commission has just chosen 59 projects that will get almost $19million in state grants. Karen Rothenberg, head of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, joins us to talk about who received funding and what it means for research in Maryland
How to Make a Play in Twelve Hours, and Why (13:25) This weekend, the Maryland Shakespeare Festival in Frederick is presenting the final installment in their Bare Bard Experimental Play Series, in which they produce a Shakespeare play in less than 12 hours. That's right. 12 Hours. Not 12 days, not 12 weeks. They'll perform King Lear tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon, and they haven't yet started to rehearse. Tom Hall talks to Rebeccah Kemper, Producing Artistic Director of the Maryland Shakespeare Festival; and Stephen Lorne Williams, an acclaimed Shakespearean actor currently living in Baltimore. He has the role of the Earl of Gloucester in the play.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Clean Up The Bay--and That's an (Executive) Order (08:53) Yesterday at George Washington's homestead in Mount Vernon, Virginia, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley met with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, the mayor of Washington DC, and the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to unveil the first-ever presidential order aimed at cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. Sheilah Kast was there, and she sat down with Governor O'Malley to ask him why he believes President Obama's executive order will be a turning point for the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Web extra: Uncut version of Sheilah's discussion with Governor O'Malley
Bike to Work Day--and That's a (Gentle) Suggestion (11:24) Taking up the challenge of this Friday's Bike to Work Day, the Maryland Morning producers set off from their homes for a bike ride to work. We hear their stories, and Sheilah talks to Baltimore City's Bike Planner Nate Evans and One Less Car president Greg Cantori.
Alice Steinbach: Suggestions for Summer Reading (09:10) Acclaimed Maryland author and journalist Alice Steinbach joins Tom for their monthly book chat. This time she suggests thrilling summer reading in the form of espionage novels by Alan Furst.
External Links: Alan Furst Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (03:26) This week, Tom is joined by KIPP Baltimore executive director Jason Botel.
Once Upon A Mattress, May 16 and 17, 1 p.m. Community College of Baltimore County, Essex Campus For tickets, call the CCBC Essex Box Office at 443-840-ARTS
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Protecting the Bay From Us (09:51) Sentences have been handed down to several Chesapeake Bay watermen for overfishing, or poaching, rockfish. Jane Barrett, Director of the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Maryland; and Larry Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association, tell us why poaching is bad for the Bay and for watermen.
Web Extra: Captain Simns on commercial and recreational fishing responsibilities
Swords and Plowshares (10:10) America seems entranced with First Lady Michelle Obama's organic vegetable garden, and beyond that, with the possibilities of what working the soil can contribute to society. The excitement may echo the momentum of nearly a century ago when American men were fighting a war overseas, and others were being pulled away from working the fields to work in factories. There was a risk that America would run short of food, and the women of America thought they had the answer. That's the story that Baltimore author and journalist Elaine F. Weiss tells in Fruits of Victory: The Woman's Land Army of America in the Great War, and the one she tells Sheilah.
Web Extra: Elaine Weiss talks about Emma Thompson, a Farmerette who continued singing Woman’s Land Army songs right up through her 100th birthday. Elaine Weiss on how she discovered the Woman’s Land Army and the Army’s link to the movement for women’s suffrage.
Unintended Accidentals (08:31) In October, 1944, the world was at war, and there was no end in sight. But despite the uncertainties of the events that were unfolding on the European and Pacific fronts, and a week before Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected for a fourth time, New York City was a buzz with a musical/social event unlike any other it had ever experienced. A wealthy, society matron named Florence Foster Jenkins announced that she would give a vocal recital of classical and operatic favorites at Carnegie Hall. In music, we call sharps and flats, "accidentals," and Florence Foster Jenkins gave new meaning to that term. A marvelous play by Stephen Temperley gives us new insight into this unique character. It's called Souvenir, and it's up through May 24 at Baltimore's Center Stage. Tom talks to the two actors who star in this production, Judy Kaye and Donald Corren.
Web extra: More from Judy Kaye and Donald Corren, including Kaye explaining how you get good at singing badly.
The Takeaway on Souvenir (05:26) Maryland Morning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews Souvenir, up through May 24 at Center Stage.
Checking Maryland Hospitals' Vitals (12:40) No one is immune to the recession; Maryland Hospitals say they are particularly un-immune. As early as Wednesday, the state commission that controls how much Maryland hospitals can charge will set rates for the coming year. We hear from Robert Murray, the Executive Director of the commission; Carmela Coyle, head of the Maryland Hospital Association; and James Hamill, President and CEO of Washington County Hospital.
Web extras: Carmela Coyle on doctors looking to hospitals for financial help Coyle on how Maryland hospitals need to prepare for stimulus money Full interview with Robert Murray of the Health Services Cost Review Commission.
Susan McCallum Smith on Annie's Ghosts (07:37) Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret is Steve Luxenburg's journey into his mother's past and the subject of this month's Maryland Morning book review by Susan McCallum Smith.
Katrina Ford of Celebration performing at Ottobar. "Why go through the machine if it's not working for you?" (14:29) That quote is from Katrina Ford of Baltimore-based band Celebration. When it came time for the band to renegotiate their contract with indie label 4AD, they decided to break away and release music online--for free. Tom talks to Katrina about Celebration's bold leap into the future of music distribution, and about their latest web-only singles.
On the Internet, Nobody Knows I'm the Dog Who Defamed You (11:04) It's hard to sue someone for defamation when you don't know who the defamer is...unless it's online and a court forces a website to turn over information about the defamer. Maryland businessman Zebulon Brodie filed suit against anonymous commenters he thought were defaming him online, and a Queen Anne's County Circuit Court judge ordered the website's owner to turn over identifying information about the commenters. When the owner, Independent Newspapers, Inc., appealed, the Maryland Court of Appeals created guidelines for plaintiffs wishing to unmask anonymous speakers on the Internet. We talk to technology-focused lawyer Evan Brown about how the Maryland Court of Appeals came to their decision, and to Brodie's attorney, Sean Poltrack.
Web extra: Evan Brown on whether or not the Independent Newspapers, Inc. v. Brodie case will have a chilling effect on anonymous speech on the Internet.
"The Danger now is Complacency": Dr. Gallo's Discovery at 25 (09:14) There are 33 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS; the disease is estimated to have killed 25 million people since 1981. This month marks the 25th anniversary of research that established HIV as the cause of AIDS--research done in part by Dr. Robert Gallo, founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology, part of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Dr. Gallo joins us to talk about making the connection between HIV and AIDS, the state of research now, and where U.S. HIV/AIDS policy should be going.
Web extra: Dr. Gallo on why infection rates stay high in PEPFAR countries even as morbidity declines.
Sing Out (05:57) Tom talks to Scott Chapman, president of the Baltimore Men's Chorus, and Robert Gee, music director of the New Wave Singers, and about the social and musical sides of gay choruses.
The New Wave Singers will present a concert called From Sea to Shining Sea tomorrow night, May 9, at the Govans Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. For tickets, visit newwavesingers.org.
The Baltimore Men's Chorus will hold their 25th Anniversary Cabaret and Silent Auction at the University of Baltimore Student Center a week from tomorrow, May 16. More information here.
A Time for Ragtime (08:09) Maryland Morning Theater Critic J. Wynn Rousuck tells Tom about the production of the musical Ragtime, up through May 17 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Bountiful Bay Grasses? (11:10) It seems like every month there are new report cards, barometers and checkups on the health of the Chesapeake Bay. But there's really only one way to tell if the bay is getting cleaner: if life is thriving. That seems to be the case at least for aquatic grasses in the bay. A recent study found that bay grasses have made a comeback in some spots. Lee Karrh, a scientist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Dr. Bill Dennison, vice president for science application at the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science, talk with us about the resurgence of bay grasses.
Fattening Business in Lean Times (09:08) A month ago, Christian Johansson--Harvard MBA, BA in biology, founder of a software firm--was sworn in as Maryland's Secretary of Business and Economic Development. Johannson left a private equity firm to help a state juggle a budget deficit, foster business growth, and create jobs--in the midst of the deepest recession since the Great Depression. He tells Sheilah why.
The Attack of Tom's Torpid Tomatoes: The Return (08:40) Spring is back and with it comes...Tom Hall preemptively kvetching about his tomatoes. Fortunately for him and all of us, Anne Raver is here. She's the gardening and landscape design columnist for the New York Times and the author of a book of essays called Deep in the Green. She offers advice for getting your soil in shape for planting, and for what to plant once you've done that.
Information on soil testing at the University of Massachusetts here.
Anne Raver's Tomato Raves Paste Tomatoes Dona Amish Paste
The Latest on TARP in Maryland (11:12) The U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program was supposed to get lending flowing again to consumers and small businesses. Heather Harlan-Warnack, an editor at Baltimore Business Journal, says lending has yet to pick up in Maryland. We hear from her, and we ask Shore Bancshares, Inc. president and CEO W. Moorhead Vermilye why his company recently returned every last cent of its TARP money to the U.S. Treasury.
Looking Forward, and Back, at the Flu (8:51) Today's outbreak of swine flu is nothing compared to what the world dealt with during the 1918 outbreak of Spanish Influenza. We revisit a conversation with former Baltimore Sun reporter Linnell Smith who is currently a senior writer for the Johns Hopkins Health System (and the wife of our culture editor Tom Hall) about a series she did on the impact of the 1918 epidemic on Baltimore. Then we turn to a conversation we had late last week with Dr. Gabe Kelen of Johns Hopkins' Office of Critical Event Preparedness for his outlook on how Baltimore will handle the next flu pandemic.
Sones de Mexico Ensemble. Photo by Todd Winters. Six Musicians. Seventy Instruments. One Continent. Dig It. (13:40) The group "Sones de Mexico" was founded in 1994 in Chicago to interpret the varieties of traditional Mexican music, and, in the 15 years since, they haven't begun to exhaust that variety. They also play a ton of different instruments--current estimates put that number somewhere around 70. Over the past five months, the ensemble's leader has been doing a residency with students at the University of Maryland in College Park, as well as with people in the community, and on Friday night, that residency will culminate with a performance at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park. This morning, on Cinco de Mayo, we are joined on the phone from Chicago by two members of Sones de Mexico, executive director Juan Dies and music director Victor Pichardo.
Stamping out Hunger (07:12) There's a particular economic indicator not often remarked on in talk of the recession: the rising number of people eligible for food stamps. A report released today by Advocates for Children and Youth (ACY) shows Maryland doing a bad job of getting food stamps to the growing number of people in the state who are eligible. Matthew Joseph, ACY's Executive Director, explains the factors behind this and talks about what Maryland can do to get food stamps to the families that need them.
Shoshana (12:03) Shoshana Shoubin Cardin has held nearly every leadership position in every Jewish organization you can think of, both in Baltimore and nationally--sometimes holding several offices at once, often being the first woman in that office. She says the honor she holds most dear is that the pluralistic Jewish high school in Pikesville is named for her. Sheilah talks to Mrs. Cardin about her life and recently-released memoir, Shoshana: Memoirs of Shoshana Shoubin Cardin, published by the Jewish Museum of Maryland.
Web extra: Shoshana Cardin on leading the debate about "Who is a Jew?" while she was president of the Council of Jewish Federations.
Creative Cognition (13:34) For some years now, researchers have suspected that children who participate in the arts have advantages in cognitive development and attention for learning. The intersection of learning, arts, and the brain is the subject of events that take place tomorrow and Wednesday at the American Visionary Arts Museum.
Tomorrow afternoon, a group of educators and psychologists will hold a panel entitled, Arts, Creativity, and Other Outrageous Education Ideas and on Wednesday, a Learning, Arts, and the Brain Summit will bring researchers and practitioners together to discuss what we know about arts and cognition, and how our education policy might be shaped in light of this research. Susan Magsamen is the Co-director of the Johns Hopkins School of Education's Neuro-Education Initiative, Dr. Mariale Hardiman is the Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and the Assistant Dean of the Urban Schools Partnership at Johns Hopkins University, and also a co-director of the Neuro-Education Initiative. Dr. Guy McKhann is a professor of neurology and director of the Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute at Hopkins. They join Tom to talk about the summit and what they hope it will yield.
Friday, May 1, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show: More "More with Less," Now With Less Less...More or Less (11:59) Another round of newsroom cuts at The Baltimore Sun this week--but this time, it's layoffs, not voluntary buyouts. Sixty employees were shown the door. That's nearly a quarter of a newsroom staff that was already severely depleted. We talk with Sandy Banisky, who left the Sun in July after 38 years as a reporter and editor, about how readers lose out when experienced editors leave a newspaper. We also talk with Brent Jones, a Sun reporter and unit chair of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, about who's leaving and what the future holds for those still aboard.
Web extra: Sun employee union representative Brent Jones explains why some newsroom employees who have been laid off might end up keeping their jobs based on a formula that includes both seniority and job classification...and how this might then trigger layoffs among those with less seniority.
The BSO Bands Together (08:18) The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is facing tough times, much like everyone else these days. But in order to shore up their position as an orchestra they've created the "Music Matters: Play Your Part" fundraising campaign. Their goal: 2 Million dollars. Tom talks with Laurie Sokoloff, chair of the BSO's players committee and Paul Meecham, President and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra about this unprecedented move by the players.
The School that Built Jazz (14:25) Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore's Mondawmin neighborhood has a rich and distinguished history as a school--it gave early training to some of the most celebrated names in the history of jazz and classical music. Its graduates include jazz giants Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, and operatic divas Anne Brown and Veronica Tyler. One of their most distinguished graduates, Ethel Ennis, will be performing tomorrow night in a concert at Douglass to benefit their music program. Ennis and her husband Earl Arnett, who is organizing the concert, reminisce about the school's musical past, and highlight its current musical strengths.
The benefit concert will take place May 2 at 6p.m. and Frederick Douglass High School. Call 410.960.8041 or 410.523.4500 for more information.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show
Advocating for Maryland's Most Vulnerable Children (13:28) When Maryland's juvenile courts find that a child has been abused or neglected, they give that child an official designation: Child in Need of Assistance, or CINA. To make decisions in these sensitive cases, judges need thorough, objective information about the child's situation. Court-appointed special advocates--or CASAs--are volunteers who gather this information and tell the judge what they think is best for the child.
Ed Kilcullen, director of the Maryland CASA Association, says that only about ten percent of Maryland's 10,000 children in need of assistance have a CASA. Sheilah speaks with Ed Kilcullen and Marilyn Moses, a CASA volunteer in Baltimore city.
The next training at CASA Baltimore is Thursday, May 21. Further information for potential Baltimore City CASAs is here.
Preparing for Pandemic? (6:13) For years scientists have been telling us to prepare for a flu pandemic. Now with the appearance of swine flu, officials are putting public health plans into action. Maryland officials have said that it's only a matter of time before the flu visits our state. Sheilah talks to Dr. Gabe Kelen, Director of Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, about how Maryland is preparing.
Outro music used in this segment was Stephan Zielinski's translation of a key swine flu gene into ambient music. Information about it here.
1940 edition of The Negro Motorist Green-Book Driving with Jim Crow (8:46) Among the myriad obstacles black people faced in the Jim Crow South, traveling was particularly complicated. Figuring out the basic logistics of where to stay and where to eat was extremely difficult, because so many places simply did not welcome the business of African Americans. One of the ways to solve the problem was to consult a book called The Negro Motorist Green-Book, which listed restaurants, gas stations, and hotels that were friendly to black patrons. This book is the inspiration for Baltimore-born playwright Calvin Ramsey's play The Green Book. He'll be in town for a reading and performance of it this Sunday, and he joins Tom Hall from Atlanta to talk about the play.
The Green Book Dramatic Reading at Baltimore Hebrew University Sunday, May 3, 2 to 4p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Baltimore Jewish Council, the Baltimore Chapter of the NAACP, The Jewish Museum of Maryland, and Baltimore Hebrew University. For tickets and more information, please contact Ilene Dackman-Alon at idackmanalon@jewishmuseummd.org or 410.732.6402 x 214.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Ed Price (left) and Zayn Bradley inspect Bradley's handiwork on Price's roof Fiddler on the Roof (9:52) There's wind in the sails of the alternative energy movement. The Obama administration aims to put the country on course to get 10 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025. In Maryland recently, several steps to make it easier to go renewable have come out of Frederick County. State Delegate Joseph Bartlett got the General Assembly to exempt some solar and wind energy equipment from the sales and property taxes; Delegate Sue Hecht successfully sponsored a bill for loans to homeowners who buy solar, geothermal or conservation systems. And this morning the Frederick County Commissioners are holding a public hearing on a zoning change that would ease the way for more residential wind and solar energy generation.
We wanted to get a picture of what this emerging renewable energy economy looks like on the ground, so we visited Zayn Bradley, owner and operator of Sustainable Energy Systems LLC, a solar thermal and electricity installer in Frederick, Maryland; and Ed Price, one of Bradley's customers.
Lawyers, Hons, and Money (10:12) Imagine being destitute in Baltimore during the Great Depression and accidentally finding thousands of gold coins buried in your basement. Sounds fantastical, but that's exactly what happened to two boys playing in their Eden Street basement 75 years ago. Coin collector Leonard Augsberger heard about this story and had to find out more. Turns out it involves a lot of lawsuits--there was only one pot of gold, but lots of Baltimoreans remembered burying it. Sheilah talks with Leonard Augsberger about the book he wrote, Treasure in the Cellar: A Tale of Gold in Depression-Era Baltimore.
In the Heat of the Mennonite (13:59) The actress and writer Elizabeth Hess is in town for the next couple of weeks performing a trilogy of her one-woman plays at Baltimore's Theatre Project. The three pieces in the trilogy are collectively called Living Openly and Notoriously. The plays explore her upbringing in the Mennonite faith, and her struggle to understand and reconcile that upbringing as an adult. Elizabeth Hess joins Tom Hall in the studio.
4Closure 4Eva? (11:53) The foreclosure crisis is getting worse by the minute, and last week the people on the front line fighting it got together to think about new solutions. They call themselves the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition--it's sort of a Justice League for the mortgage universe, full of representatives from financial institutions, non-profits, and local, state, and federal agencies.
Sheilah talked to Joanna Smith-Ramani, co-chair of the coalition and director of the Baltimore CASH Campaign, about where the fight against foreclosure in Maryland stands today.
Web extra: Joanna Smith-Ramani on how the economy is forcing non-profits to cut housing counselors from their staffs.
Web extra: Joanna Smith-Ramani on how a reinvigorated Community Reinvestment Act could reinvigorate lending in poor communities.
Web extra: Joanna Smith-Ramani searches for a glimmer of hope in the future of homeownership.
The Maryland Hope Line connects state residents to local non-profit housing counselors. Call 1-877-462-7555 or visit http://www.mdhope.org/.
Show me the Body! (8:30) When President George W. Bush suspended the writ of habeas corpus for people the U.S. determined to be enemy combatants, his defenders pointed out that Abraham Lincoln had done the same. This morning we're going to look more closely at that, because Lincoln suspended habeas corpus (Latin for "Produce the Body") on this date--April 27, 1861, two weeks after the Confederates captured Fort Sumter and a little more than a week after the Pratt Street riots in Baltimore shed the first blood of the Civil War. At first the President's order was not public, and it applied only in certain parts of Maryland. Charles W. Mitchell, author of Maryland Voices of the Civil War, tells us more.
Book Clubs: They Aren't Just for Oprah Anymore (13:14) Susan McCallum Smith has been a literary reader and writer for a long time. She reviews books for us here on Maryland Morning and for the Urbanite Magazine, and tomorrow night, she'll be speaking at the Roland Park Country School in Baltimore about book clubs; how to revitalize them if they've gone a little stale, how to keep the book choices fresh and interesting, and how to talk about books with other readers. She shares her tips with Tom Hall.
Susan McCallum Smith's session on reading and talking about books at Roland Park Country School is Tuesday, April 28, from 7 to 9p.m. For more information call
(410) 323-5500 x 3091
Friday, April 24, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Catching Autism Early (10:00) Researchers at the Kennedy-Krieger Institute are finding new ways to catch the attention of infants and toddlers with autism, and change the way their brains develop. Dr. Rebecca Landa, the director of the Institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, or CARD, came to our studios tell us about about CARD's latest research.
There's a fundraiser for Kennedy-Krieger autism research beginning at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Go out to Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville to hike, ride your bike, or you can make a donation online. More information here.
Keeping up with the Joans (9:06) Sheilah talks to Jill Moss Greenberg, Executive Director of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center about the center's vision of women's past, present and future in the state.
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center will be hosting a luncheon with Cokie Roberts on Wednesday; the event is sold out but there's information about getting on a waiting list here.
Getting Out to the Movies (13:35) The Maryland Film Festival is almost here! Jed Dietz from the Maryland Film Festival and Mike Sragow, Film Critic for the Baltimore Sun talk with Tom about this year's selection at Charm City's Cannes.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Reading, Writing, and Responding to Pirate Attacks (11:25) In the wake of the dramatic rescue last week of Capt Richard Phillips from Somali pirates who attacked the US Flag ship Maersk Alabama, a lot of people have opinions about piracy. But many of the seamen who actually deal with piracy got their training for it here in Maryland. Captain Bob Becker of the Masters Mates and Pilots Union graduate school, the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies; and J.C. Wigman, director of training for the Seafarers International Union Paul Hall center at Piney Point in southern Maryland, join us to talk about what it takes to face a pirate.
You Don't Know Skipjack (8:51) Maryland Public Television has unearthed Watermen, a documentary about Chesapeake oystermen filmed in the 1960s in and around Deal Island in Somerset County. It airs tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m. Sheilah talks to Captain Art Daniels, Jr., who appears in the film on his skipjack The City of Crisfield (and still goes oystering on her today); and Bill Sailer, secretary of the Deal Island Lions Club.
Web extras: Captain Daniels recites--from memory--a poem about the sea that he wrote decades ago. Read the poem below.
Captain Daniels tells Sheilah about two of his most exciting moments on the Chesapeake: one treasured, and one treacherous.
The sea it's so great, the sea it's so strong, And men seek its treasures all the day long. There are men with a net, men with a dredge, The traps and tongs and mechanical doodads.
But the sea still provides with its bounties unknown, And it seems its mission is "always give to the throng." Ah, but the sea has a sign that is boisterous with rage And provided for many a watery grave. "Davy Jones's locker," is what they say, "Has taken another to rest today."
But I am a sailor, and one thing I know: The sea, it's so great, and I am so small. I learned to respect her a-long years ago. Then a very young captain I experienced my first blow.
The fierce winds blew from a black northern sky, And my little boat was so helpless and shy. It tossed and it pitched and it wouldn't take sail. Soon all of my crew was ready to wail.
But I knew the harbor was over the rise. Behind those black clouds was a clear blue sky. So I held the helm tight and I breathed a small prayer. For I knew one was listening who controls the sea and air.
And I made safe the harbor, but I learned that day, The sea demands respect and with it we can play. So, my friend, listen, and learn this from me: A man without God cannot conquer the sea.
Did you like the Cake? (9:29) Maryland has more than its share of famous cake makers. Duff Goldman, the proprietor of Charm City Cakes, is a cult sensation as the host of Ace of Cakes on the Food Network. Warren Brown left the legal profession to open Cakelove, and he too had a show on the Food Network for a while. Leslie Poyourow, the owner of Fancy Cakes by Leslie in Gaithersburg, had one of her creations chosen by the Today Show for a wedding that was broadcast on national television. With all of these local cake celebrities, it's only fitting that Maryland also has an author who takes up the subject of cakes: why we love 'em, what we love about 'em, and the history of this most delectable of all culinary concoctions. Tom Hall talks to Leslie Miller, the author of Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and a Pinch of Salt.
Baltimore Bakeries (pdf) (This is a work in progress. Please e-mail us at mdmorning(at)wypr.org and let us know what bakeries we've missed.)
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (4:07) Leslie Bowyer takes four minutes and seven seconds off from the WYPR Online Auction to help Tom Hall with this week's calendar.
NAACP ACT-SO Competition, April 25, 8a.m. Frederick Douglas High School, Baltimore For more information, call the Baltimore Branch NAACP ACT-SO Chairperson Annette Haynes at 443 956-9564 or Competition Coordinator James A. Brown at 410 675-7636 or Stephanie Seward, Student Coordinator at 410-254-8472.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Poverty without a Bed: Baltimore's Homeless Census (12:13) Every year in January, groups of volunteers spend several days in cities and towns across America gathering information on the homeless people living in their area. This information is used in homeless censuses meant to give an accounting of the total number of homeless in an area, and to provide a picture of who these people are. Baltimore City now has a preliminary report based on this homeless census information. We talk to Diane Glauber, President of Baltimore Homeless Services, and Jeff Singer, President and CEO of Health Care for the Homeless, about what those numbers tell us. Singer puts it simply: "Homelessness, in fact, is poverty without a bed". By phone: Baltimore City homeless services can be reached by calling 311; Health Care for the Homeless's phone number is 410.837.5533. External links: Baltimore City's 10-year plan to end homelessness (pdf) Baltimore City Homeless Services Health Care for the Homeless
Light pollution in the United States: P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova)
I See a Darkness (8:13) Tonight is the peak of the annual Lyrids meteor shower, but many Marylanders won't be able to see it because of light pollution. Sheilah talks to Brian Eney, president of the Maryland chapter of the International Dark Sky Association, about efforts to bring more darkness to our state.
Web extra: Eney discusses the effect of light pollution on songbirds, turtles, and moths.
Famous Faces (7:00) Maryland is rich with history, and a group of students at the Baltimore School for the Arts are doing their part to bring that history to life. The Famous Faces project puts history in the hands of production and acting students at the school, who are portraying some of Maryland's most important natives, be they famous or obscure. Dustin Meeker from the Maryland Historical Society, and Norah Worthington, who teaches production at the Baltimore School for the Arts, join Tom Hall to talk about the project, and we get a first-hand listen to the students creations.
The Call on Call of the Wild (6:02) Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck tells Tom Hall the new musical Call of the Wild, up at Olney Theatre Center through May 5.
Li'l Loans (09:58) Microfinance, a project championed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammed Yunus, has been touted around the globe as a way to lift people out of poverty by making small, collateral-free loans to help them start businesses. U.S. banks have been wary of getting tangled up in a lot of small loans to customers with little collateral or credit histor--especially now--but it's happening in small pockets. We talk to Hayley Gallagher, executive director of Salisbury-based Maryland Capital Enterprises, a non-profit providing microfinance on the rural eastern shore. We also talk to Arthur Shaw, a data analyst at the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland in College Park, about why the model for international microfinance might not work in the U.S.
An Evening with Muhammad Yunus, sponsored by the University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business, is tonight at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall from 6 to 7 p.m. Ticket information is here. At the University of Baltimore today, starting at 1:30 p.m., is an overview of the social enterprise movement called "The Future of Capitalism: Tools for Social Change."
Web extra: Hayley Gallagher talks about the cultural differences between microloan recipients in the developing world and in America.
Poisoned Waters (09:44) Tomorrow night PBS Frontline will go deep--literally deep, both underwater and into the problems--of the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound. The two-hour documentary is called Poisoned Waters. Its senior producer and correspondent is Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Hedrick Smith; Sheilah talks to Smith about how making the documentary made him more concerned about the Bay, and about what it takes to change the course of environmental degradation.
Web extra: Hedrick Smith on research, including some by Dr. Robert Lawrence from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, on the human health impacts of environmental pollution.
Bawdy Ballads! Mischievous Madrigals! (09:26) Blossoms are bursting all over Baltimore and the Peabody campus is bursting with song! This Friday the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble will give a concert of off-color renaissance music in celebration of the coming of spring. Unless your kids speak perfect 16th-century French, though, you won't have to worry about them picking up any "new" vocabulary. The Renaissance Ensemble joins Tom in our studios to tease us with a taste of the performance.
Chapter 1: Burn Baby Burn (04:29) The publishing industry is one of many industries that have fallen on tough times in this economic downturn. The last few months have brought grim announcements from the likes of Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Tom Hall talks a man who thinks this is actually a really exciting time to be in publishing--or at least in self-publishing. Brad Grochowski is the founder of Authors Bookshop, an online bookstore that specializes in self-published books. He's organized a reading series called "Book Burn" that highlights local self-published authors. The first event in the series is Wednesday at 7p.m. at the Koba Cafe in Baltimore.
e-therapy (13:34) This morning, a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical School and the Baltimore-based Institute for Behavior Resources are announcing the results of a study of online group therapy for drug addiction. We'll take a look at what their findings mean for accessibility and effectiveness of treatment.
Photo by William B. McCullough David McCullough (09:37) Sheilah speaks with historian David McCullough, author of 1776, John Adams, The Path Between the Seas, and several other books. McCullough's ability to bring American history to life has earned him two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Web extra: Hear the full interview with David McCullough, in which he talks about the failure of our schools to ground students in history and civics, why he'll never get to most of the 27 book ideas he has bouncing around his mind, and why he loves to write.
Books and the City (08:27) Maryland bookworms take note: CityLit Festival returns tomorrow. Mark Doty, whose Fire to Fire won a 2008 National Book Award for poetry, will be there, as will Junot Diaz, who won a Pulitzer last year for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Some of Maryland's best writers will be there, too. Tom talks to Gregg Wilhelm, executive director of CityLit Project, and Elissa Brent Weissman, who just released her first book for middle readers, Standing for Socks.
The CityLit Festival takes place at the Enoch Pratt Central Library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Costs of Violent Crime (10:25) In a recent report, Baltimore's top prosecutor, State's Attorney Patricia Jessamy, said, "When you have sirens and gunfire in your neighborhood every single day, when you become de-sensitized to the value of human life, then you become conditioned that violence is a way of life, when it should not be. I believe our community is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." We talk to her about this trauma, and about an event focused on victims of crime this coming weekend: the 9th annual Victims' Fund Run and Walk. It begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Recreation Center in Patterson Park.
For information on the 9th annual Victims' Fund Run and Walk, call (410) 396-1897 or visit this website.
Also, in conjunction with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, there is a statewide Memorial Service for the Northern Region of Maryland. The service will be held 3:00 -- 5:00p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2009 at Baltimore City College High School, 3220 The Alameda, Baltimore, MD.
The Baffling Case of the Dead Bats (09:38) Little Brown Bats with White Nose Syndrome
A mysterious disease is killing bats along the nation's northeast, from Virginia to New Hampshire. Huge numbers of the flying mammals are dying in their caves over the winter, their muzzles covered with a white, fluffy fungus. And while no cases have been found in Maryland yet, scientists say that it's probably just a matter of time.
To get some answers about this so-called "white nose syndrome", we dialed up Dan Feller, a regional biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He joined us from the University of Maryland Appalachian lab in Frostburg.
External Links: National Wildlife Health Center on White Nose Syndrome Big Weekend at the BSO (09:13) There's a full-to-bursting weekend of music at the Meyerhoff this weekend, all conducted by BSO Music Director Marin Alsop. The highlight this weekend is Copland's Symphony No. 3, and the Maestra tells Tom Hall about how this intensely American composer evoked our country's wide open spaces...from his apartment in Brooklyn.
"Art for Now" with Daniel Bernard Roumain, the Morgan State University Jazz Combo, and the Loyola College Chorale, April 18, 7:30 p.m. Murphy Fine Arts Center, Morgan State University
Tuesday, April 14, 2009- Hear the Whole Show Live and Let Sine Die The 426th session of the Maryland General Assembly wrapped up Monday night. Over the past three months, the assembly has mulled over text messaging, domestic violence, regulating energy markets, the death penalty, smart growth, pornography, a $14 billion budget, and a raft of other issues. As the dust begins to settle, we look back at the legislative session that was, and consider which decisions made there will have lasting impacts on Maryland. We're joined by Andy Green, City and State Editor of the Baltimore Sun, and Andy Rosen, Annapolis reporter for the Maryland Daily Record. Then, for a closer look at the budget the legislature passed, we talk to Neil Bergsman, Director of the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute.
Maryland Arts' Red Period? Maryland Morning's Arts and Culture editor Tom Hall brings us the latest on the legislature's arts appropriations, and some new streams of money from the federal government that could be flowing into the coffers of Maryland arts organizations.
Kinobe Herbert mastered the traditional music of his native Uganda and took it around the world, adding new sounds along the way. He tells Tom Hall about the folk stories behind his music and performs songs on the kora and kalimba with guitarist Ouma Michael.
Keeping Babies Alive (10:00) In Baltimore in 2007, 112 babies died before their first birthday--all but six of them babies born to African-American mothers. Now the city is launching an intensive effort in 12 neighborhoods with the highest infant-mortality rates to make sure new and expecting parents get more services like health care, drug and alcohol addiction treatment, and nutrition support. Baltimore's statistics are breathtaking, but there's also concern about premature babies and infant mortality in Prince George's County, western Maryland, and the Eastern Shore. Nearly eight out of one thousand infants die in the state, compared to a national average of 6.7 infant deaths. We talk to Frances Phillips , Deputy Secretary for Public Health services in the state health department, about what's behind these numbers, and about the state's efforts to address them.
Web extra: Frances Phillips talks about birth outcomes in eastern and western Maryland, and for Hispanic mothers in the state
Making Robots "Alive" (8:45) In the FIRST competition, high school teams from around the country and the world build robots that are designed to complete particular tasks ("FIRST", in case you were wondering, stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The regional competitions happened over the last month, and this week 500 robots will compete at the final Championship--this year being held in Atlanta.
This year, nine Maryland teams qualified for the Finals. We talk to Vlad Busiko and Joey Crystal of the rookie "Team Mayhem" out of Owings Mills High School, and Dominique Davenport of "Team Havoc", made up of students from Bowie High School and a community engineering program called Patriots Technology Training Center.
Jazz Out for Taxes (7:35) If you're a longtime reader of the Baltimore City Paper, you may recognize the name Sandy Asirvatham--she used to write a weekly column there called "Underwhelmed." She doesn't write that column anymore, but she does write songs, and she has garnered a reputation as an eclectic and compelling songwriter and performer--her last album was called Memoir. Sandy Asirvatham has a couple of concerts coming up. She'll play a set of songs about money and taxes at the 49 West coffeehouse in Annapolis on Sunday night, and on May 1st, she'll record her next CD. It will be a live album she'll record at Jazzway 6004 in Baltimore. Asirvatham talks to Tom Hall about making the switch from the written to the sung word. External links: Asirvatham's website 49 West Coffeehouse Jazzway 6004
Rock Out for OrchKids (6:00) Johns Hopkins student radio station is going to try to beat the record for the world's longest jam session. They'll have to play music for more than five days straight, (they're trying for six) and this is no simple quest for glory. They are trying to raise music for OrchKids, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's outreach program. Dan Trahey, program director for OrchKids; and Sam Messing, WJHU's director, stop by to tell us what we can expect from this six day extravaganza.
Credit Cards? Verrry Interest-ing. (12:04) Do you know what the interest rate on your credit card is right now? Lenders are allowed to raise the rate on your existing balance, so it may not be the same as when you signed on. Federal regulations will ban this practice starting in July 2010, but Del. Bill Frick (D-Montgomery County) wants to ban it in Maryland by October 2009. We talk to Del. Frick about his bill, and to Maryland Bankers Association President and CEO Kathleen Murphy, who opposes the bill.
Then Sheilah talks to Charles Shafer, University of Baltimore commercial law professor and Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition president, about how consumers can handle the recent round of rate hikes.
The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition is co-sponsoring a symposium called "Beyond the Credit Crisis: Financial Institution Regulation for the 21st Century" on Tuesday, April 14 at the University of Baltimore. RSVP here.
National Poetry Month: Josephine Jacobsen (8:04) April is National Poetry Month, and today we reflect on one of Maryland's most famous poets, Josephine Jacobsen. Elizabeth Spires, herself an acclaimed poet and a professor at Goucher College, was friends with Jacobsen during her lifetime and has edited a chapbook of her late and previously unpublished work called Contents of a Minute. Tom and Elizabeth discuss Josephine's work, her life, and influence.
The Shape of Shipping (10:28) One clear ripple effect of the recession is showing up in the Chesapeake Bay in the waters south of the Bay Bridge and outside the Port of Baltimore: cargo ships are backing up. The steep drop in demand from consumers and businesses has lead to a fall-off in trade. Ships and cargo have nowhere to go, and they're piling up at ports. We talk to James White, Executive Director of the Maryland Port Authority; and Jock Menzies, Chairman of the Terminal Corporation, a Baltimore-based trucking and transport company; about how Maryland's shipping and transport industry is dealing with the backlog.
We Reggret The Error (09:59) Iff you thouht copy edditors where an extravigince, tink agian. Copy editors are essential not just for the clarity of what we read in newspapers, but for accuracy, too. As newspapers shed staff, there are fewer copy editors to scour the news, and our two guests worry that the accuracy and credibility of news organizations will suffer as a result. Carl Sessions Stepp is a professor at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism and a senior editor at American Journalism Review. John McIntyre is the Baltimore Sun copy desk chief.
Consider the Shrub (08:54) It's estimated that more 70 percent of the U.S. population gardens each year. Anne Raver writes about what those households might do when they hit the dirt. She's the gardening and landscape design columnist for the New York Times. She lives and gardens on a farm in Carroll County, MD, and she joins Tom Hall monthly, this time to talk about shrubbery.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show:
Incarcerated Baltimore (11:56) There are over 2 million people in prisons and jails in America - a Pew center report last year calculated that 1 out of every 100 adults in the country is incarcerated. Over 22 thousand people are currently in Maryland's prisons, with twice that number on parole or probation. We look at a new report that puts faces on some these numbers. "Bearing Witness", a report put together by the Justice Policy Institute, collects stories from people in Baltimore City affected by incarceration. We talk to the report's author, Shakti Belway; and to Alfreda Robinson, founder of the National Women's Prison Project and one of the people interviewed for the report.
Web extra: Alfreda Robinson explains what the National Women's Prison Project does.
Putting more Correction in "Department of Corrections" (08:21) Drug addiction is a main driver for rising prison populations nationwide. In the last four years Maryland has made strides in getting drug treatment into prisons. Maryland Morning producer Bruce Wallace visited one such treatment program at the Central Laundry Facility--a minimum-security, pre-release prison in Sykesville. External links: Abstract of JAMA study Pew reports on sentencing and corrections
Soledad Salame's Where Do You Live?
Contemplating Maryland at the Contemporary (09:12) There are two new exhibits up at the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore. Soledad Salame's Where Do You Live? and the Futurefarmers Reverse Ark - In the Wake both explore Maryland and Baltimore. Where Do You Live? looks at the impact of rising waters on Maryland's coastline while Reverse Ark is literally made from bits of Baltimore. Soledad Salame and Irene Hoffman, the director of the contemporary, join us in the studio to discuss the new works. External Links: The Contemporary Soledad Salame Futurefarmers
The Forest and the Trees: Everyman's Cherry Orchard reviewed (05:02) Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews the production of The Cherry Orchard, up through April 26 at the Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. External link: Everyman Theatre
Monday, April 6, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Lower Mortgage Payments? It'll cost you. (10:13) The foreclosure crisis in America continues to deepen--and the Obama administration's announcement at the beginning of March created incentives and regulations to encourage lenders to modify loans. In this context, people watching the crisis are beginning to see a new story unfolding--loan modification scams. We talk to Stephen Prozeralik about what these scams look like and how many there are in Maryland. Prozeralik is the Assistant Commissioner for Enforcement and Complaints at Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and a member of Maryland's Mortgage Fraud Task Force.
Web Extra: Stephen Prozeralik talks about how people should approach their lender about modifying their mortgage payments.
John Hawkins, a 55-year-old heavy equipment operator in Lee County, Florida. Photograph by Andy Cook. When the Economy Gives You Lemons, Paint Lemonade (09:48) Rising unemployment percentages and plummeting stock indexes are one way to understand the recession. Another way is to make art that tells the stories of the human beings dealing with it.
Photographer Andy Cook has been driving all over the country to take photographs and write profiles of the recently laid-off and foreclosed-upon for his website Faces of the Recession. Web designer Andres Zapata's Recession Nation Project collects art and literature through online social networking. He wants to publish a book with it and donate the money to the charity. Tom Hall talks with Andy and Andres about looking at our economic landscape through an artistic lens.
Opening Day (13:50) When the Orioles take the field today, you'll hear specialized terms like "bunt," "blooper," "bases loaded," and "balk"--and that's just the B's. Fortunately, there's the Dickson Baseball Dictionary to help you translate. The third edition came out last month, and it has 10,000 entries. Author Paul Dickson tells Tom Hall how baseball slang became so rich and eventually invaded everyday English.
"Baltimore one-point perspective" by Teresa Duggan
What's the Big Idea, Baltimore? (14:29) The economic crisis is spurring talk of abandoning short-term fixes for long-term, systemic solutions. Who would have thought a year ago, for instance, that bank nationalization would have been on the table? At the local level, people are rethinking the way our cities work.
Sheilah and our guests discuss two ideas for Baltimore. The first is "participatory budgeting," which puts some decision-making for municipal budgets in the hands of citizen assemblies. Another idea is to somehow merge Baltimore city with its suburbs. Joining Sheilah are Baltimore native Josh Lerner, a Ph.D. candidate at the New School for Social Research and co-founder of the Participatory Budgeting Project; Dr. Ray Winbush, director of the Institute of Urban Research at Morgan State University; and Eric Siegel, who was a Baltimore Sun reporter for 30 years and is now a journalist-in-residence at Johns Hopkins' Institute for Policy Studies.
Note: This segment was originally scheduled to air live on Friday, March 27 but was pre-empted by NPR's live coverage of President Obama's speech on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy.
Dancing Cancer Away (05:48) Esophageal cancer is on the rise--around 16,500 Americans were diagnosed with it last year. Since losing her husband to esophageal cancer last year, Mindy Mintz Mordecai has been trying to raise awareness of the disease. Sheilah talks to Mindy and gastroenterologist Dr. Bruce Greenwald about symptoms to watch out for, a promising new treatment, and an event this Sunday that will raise money to fight esophageal cancer.
Dance for the Cure will take place at the Towson University Center for the Arts on Sunday, April 5, from 10am to 6pm.
Gwendolyn Bradley, "Olympia" by Morgan Monceaux Visionary Arias (08:52) The artist Morgan Monceaux lives in Baltimore. His work has been exhibited at the American Visionary Art Museum, and at many galleries and libraries across the United States. Three of his pieces in a series called "Jazz: My Music, My People," are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. His current show is a collection of portraits of Divas, in which he draws inspiration from operas and the women who sing them. It's at the New Door Creative Gallery in Baltimore. Tom Hall talks to Morgan Monceaux and Michelle Talibah, the owner of New Door Creative and the curator of this exhibit.
Call 410.244.8244 to arrange a time to see Morgan Monceaux's exhibit at the New Door Creative Gallery.
King of the Jews at Olney Theatre (05:53) Maryland Morning theatre critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews King of the Jews, playing through April 12 at the Olney Theatre.
To Knock or Not to Knock (10:41) Police serving warrants usually knock and announce their presence before entering a home, but they sometimes seek a "no-knock" warrant--or simply enter without knocking--if they feel that their safety is threatened or that evidence will be destroyed. In a 2005 no-knock raid in Dundalk, a SWAT team killed Cheryl Noel when they burst into her bedroom and saw her holding a gun. Her family filed a wrongful death suit in federal court, alleging that the tactics were unwarranted, but this week the jury found the SWAT team not liable.
This year, several Maryland raids in which police have killed family pets--including those of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo--have put the riskiness of no-knock raids in the news. There aren't enough statistics to say definitively whether their use is increasing, but the General Assembly is moving legislation that would require local law enforcement agencies to report every six months on their SWAT team's activities.
We talk to Sen. C. Anthony Muse, the bill's sponsor, and to University of Maryland School of Law assistant professor Dr. David Gray about the Fourth Amendment issues underlying the debate over no'knock raids.
Computing the Chesapeake (09:20) What if you were able to predict the health of the Chesapeake Bay? Well Dr. Raghu Murtugudde, a scientist at the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and his team have done just that. They've developed a computer simulation that can predict what the state of health the Chesapeake will be for up to 30 years. Dr. Murtugudde joins Nathan Sterner in the studio to explain the model and its predictions for the health of the Bay. External link: Article about ESSIC on Maryland Commons
Ami Dang Trans Modern Madness (10:42) Baltimore's annual celebration of underground, radical and offbeat art, the Transmodern Festival, kicks off tomorrow, and runs through this Sunday. Work by more than 40 artists from Maryland and around the world will be performed and on display at the H and H building. Kathryn Williamson, Ami Dang and Bonnie Jones, two of the featured artists and one of the festival organizers, talk with Tom about what we can expect this year.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
The Reality of Real ID (10:13) Maryland is one of a handful of states that do not require you to prove you are a legal citizen in order to get a drivers license, for now. Monday evening the General Assembly considered a pair of bills that would change those requirements and bring Maryland in line with the rest of the country and federal law. This morning, we'll talk with Julie Bykowicz of the Baltimore Sun and Lisa Rein of the Washington Post about what happened and what we can expect to happen before the session ends.
Unraveling Monkey Mysteries: Jane Goodall (09:42) We know a lot about chimpanzees and their similarities to humans these days, but we hardly knew anything when Jane Goodall first stepped into the Tanzanian forest to study them nearly 50 years ago. Dr. Goodall tells Sheilah about how she came to learn so much about our closest primate relatives, including that first moment when she realized just how similar we are.
Dr. Jane Goodall will appear at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall tonight at 8 p.m. as part of the Baltimore Speakers Series.
Painful Plays (13:32) In his new book, Mark Hyman, who writes about sports for Business Week Magazine and who is a contributor on Maryland Morning, asserts that adults have staged a hostile takeover of kids' sports. The results of this takeover are alarming. Lots and lots of kids are getting injured playing sports. In 2003, 3.5 million children under age of 15 required medical attention for a sports injury. Tom Hall talks to Mark Hyman; his new book is called Until it Hurts: America's Obsession with Youth Sports and How it Harms Our Kids.
Web Extra: More Mark Hyman: On changes in training, parental stress over youth sports, and the difference between amateur and professional coaches.
The State of Hate (08:50) Barack Obama's election as President of the United States has been widely seen as the signal of a new era in race relations for the country. There is, though, a current running counter to this narrative--a continuing rise in the activity of hate groups in the country. It's a current that the Southern Poverty Law Center has been tracking for years. Recently, they've chronicled it in a report called "The Year in Hate". The report's editor, Mark Potok, joins us to talk about the national and local picture of hate groups.
Web Extras Mark Potok describes how the data for "The Year in Hate" was gathered
Mark Potok on Maryland Morning November 17, 2008, talking about Hebrew Israelites
Citizen Leader (10:33) Political Theater will not disappear--but Maryland may go a long time before it sees such exuberant scenes as played in the political theater of William Donald Schaefer. There was his legendary plunge into the seal pool at the Aquarium, in straw hat and Victorian bathing suit, when he was mayor of Baltimore; and his literally being packed into a box, loaded onto a boat and shipped from Baltimore to Annapolis when he became Governor. Plus many less-scripted but equally eye-grabbing moments. A lot of these moments are captured in a documentary that premiers tonight on Maryland Public Television. It's called Citizen Schaefer, and its Senior Producer, Michael English, and Michael Golden--Managing Director of Communications at MPT and a former press person for Governor and then Comptroller Schaefer--join us to talk about the film and the man.
Citizen Schaefer airs on MPT tonight at 9 p.m. More information here.
Web Extra: English and Golden on Schaefer's relationship with the press.
Pablo Picasso. The Acrobat Family. 1905. Goteborg Museum of Art. (C)2008 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Picasso's "Circus Monkey" Period (09:03) Between Picasso's Blue Period and his leap into Cubism, he spent a lot of time attending Paris's many circuses. The Baltimore Museum of Art's current exhibition, A Circus Family: Picasso to Leger, features Picasso's material from that time, as well as paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Klee, and other artists who were intrigued by fin de siecle circus culture. Curator Oliver Shell and Circus Historical Society president Richard Flint tell Tom Hall about these artists' attraction to the lives of circus performers.
Tomorrow night, there will be a panel at the BMA entitled "Behind the Scenes at the Circus." Panelists will include the noted circus historian Dominique Jandot and some performers from the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. Richard Flint will moderate, and it will begin at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Programming Note: Beginning at 9:00a.m. Friday, WYPR will bring you live coverage of President Obama's announcement of his administration's Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy. More information on that here. Maryland Morning will bring you most of the stories we were planning for Friday next week. One of the stories, though, involves an event on Saturday, so we bring it to you in this web-exclusive version.
Waste? Not! The EPA estimates that 80 percent of what Americans throw away is recyclable, but that less than 28 percent of what they throw away actually gets recycled. There's a gathering in Frederick tomorrow that aims to change that. The Waste NOT! Expo wants people to start recycling the stuff they now send to landfills or incinerators--and the Expo's keynote speaker, Eric Lombardi, is going to tell them how to do that. He's the Executive Director of Eco-Cycle Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; he joins us by phone.
The Ark Strikes Land (06:02) Wednesday is Maryland Day: 375 years ago settlers from England landed at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River with a charter to start a colony. That colony would become the state of Maryland. Events celebrating the anniversary are taking place all over Maryland this week. We get the view from St. Clement's Island from Kim Cullins, specialist in the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks.
Nathan's mom, Marjorie Sterner, surrounded by the Box Huckleberry near her home in Pennsylvania.
I'm Your (Box) Huckleberry (13:45) Nathan Sterner treks through the woods of Maryland and Pennsylvania--and through the halls of a cloning operation at the National Arboretum--on the trail of what could be North America's oldest living thing.
External Links: Center for Plant Conservation on the Box Huckleberry National Heritage Program at Maryland's DNR National Arboretum There, beneath Nathan's hand, is all that remains in the wild of the Anne Arundel Box Huckelberry Finding Poetry in Sculpture (09:00) Poet Elizabeth Spires latest book, I Heard God Talking To Me, was inspired by the work of sculptor William Edmondson. Some of the poems are in the voice of his sculptures. Spires reads from her book and tells Tom Hall about how Edmondson's sculptures inspired her.
Elizabeth Spires will read her poems Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Hood College in Frederick, in the Hodson Auditorium in Rosenstock Hall. More information here.
Web extra: Elizabeth Spires reads her poem "Girl Thinking"
Attention artists, performers, vendors, and all aspiring Artscape participants: the deadline for many Artscape applications is this Tuesday, March 31. Click here for more information.
Publisher Ted Venetoulis says Ben Cardin's non-profit newspaper bill boosts momentum for local control of The Baltimore Sun.
In an interview with Maryland Morning, publisher Ted Venetoulis said his group of investors interested in acquiring The Baltimore Sun from the bankrupt Tribune Company would explore the possibility of operating the newspaper as a non-profit. Venetoulis spoke on the day U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin introduced legislation that would allow newspapers to operate as a tax-exempt corporations. Venetoulis said:
"It gives us a little more leverage--first credibility in terms of the public mind that we're out there performing a public service without just looking at the bottom line, and secondly, by having some tax-exemption, we're able to take more money and put it into the company, into the working capital to improve the quality of the newspaper."
Venetoulis said he expects the judge overseeing the Tribune Co.'s bankruptcy at some point to sell assets to pay off the Tribune's debt, and his group intends to bid on the Sun at that point.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Big Problems in Baltimore Group Homes: Legal Complications (11:49) We continue our look at group homes in Baltimore City. We'll talk with Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, President of the Baltimore City Council; and Professor Ellen Weber from the University of Maryland School of Law. Rawlings-Blake opposes legislation before the council that would make it easier to open a group home such as a drug treatment facility; Professor Weber has been one of its staunchest proponents.
The Legacy of Blockbusting (09:19) As our economy continues reeling from a burst sub-prime housing bubble, we take a look at the lingering effects of controversial real estate practices of the 1950s and 1960s. UMBC American Studies professor W. Edward Orser tells Sheilah how blockbusting helped change Baltimore's Edmondson Village neighborhood from majority white to majority black in just ten years.
On Friday, as part of the Maryland Institute College of Art's "Shaping the City" lecture series, Dr. Orser will give a talk called "Blockbusting in Baltimore: The Legacy of Residential Racial Segregation." It's free, and it starts at noon in the lobby of Falvey Hall in the Brown Center at 1301 Mount Royal Avenue.
Dan Deacon The Meaning of Bromst (08:03) Maryland Musician and composer Dan Deacon's latest album, Bromst, comes out today. It's a pretty big and brave departure from his previous work. He stopped by our studios to talk with Tom about the new album, composing, and just how you make minimalist music infectiously danceable.
Web Extra: Tom and Dan figure out a way to trick audiences
Incest, Jealousy, Evisceration, Finis. (05:35) Maryland Morning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, the 17th-century slashfest currently up at Center Stage in Baltimore.
Wading into Troubled Waters (10:07) The Chesapeake Bay Program has just issued another Bay Barometer-its annual report on the Bay's health. It shows that the health of the Bay did not improve last year, even though there were slightly less pollutants and more underwater grasses. In fact, the population of blue crabs dropped by one-sixth. That's the situation as J. Charles Fox, an Annapolis resident who used to be Maryland's secretary of natural resources, steps into a new job as the Environmental Protection Agency's "senior advisor to the Chesapeake Bay Program." Fox joins us to talk about the challenges he faces and how he starts addressing them.
Big Problems in Baltimore Group Homes (10:30) There’s a big issue about group homes for recovering drug addicts in Baltimore: Under the current rules, setting up a treatment center or group home that offers medical treatment for drug- or substance abuse requires a special ordinance from the City Council. That gives neighborhood leaders a chance to raise their concerns or objections. The Federal Department of Justice says this discriminates against people with disabilities - such as recovering addicts, and if it's not stopped, the Justice Department may sue the city.Tomorrow we'll hear from people on both sides of the legislation proposed to the City Council by Mayor Dixon. Today we're going to hear about what this issue means … at the neighborhood level. Metria Williams is the Director of Transitioning Lives, a licensed group home and rehabilitation center in Middle East Baltimore and Laurie Shotler, Executive director of the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville. They Joined us to discuss the issue.
Re-scoring Fritz Lang's Metropolis (13:22) Guitarist Adrian Bond and singer Joanne Juskus tell Tom Hall what it’s like to create and perform a new score for Fritz Lang's seminal silent 1927 film Metropolis.
Bond and Juskus will play their soundtrack Saturday night along with a screening of Metropolis at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore.
The War at Home: Corporal Dale Allan Burger, Jr. (12:06) We've been hearing this week from Marylanders reflecting on how the U.S. invasion of Iraq changed their lives--the 6th anniversary of that military action was Thursday. Today, in the final part of our series, Martina Burger remembers her son, Corporal Dale Allan Burger, Jr.
On to the FDA: Joshua Sharfstein (07:23) Joshua Sharfstein, who has been Baltimore city's health commissioner for three years, is leaving to become the deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, the FDA. We asked to talk about some of his work here, the challenges the city faces, and what his hopes are for the future.
Making Comedy Smarter (09:50) Comedian Jimmy "Valentine" Meyer is hoping to start a new comedy scene in Baltimore--one that can appreciate jokes about Avogadro's number and the Treaty of Versailles. The first step is "Bar Bacon Comedy Hour (or so)," a monthly comedy series at Golden West Cafe in Hampden that features seasoned vets and total newbies. Jimmy stops by our studio to crack funnies with Tom Hall.
The next installment of the Bar Bacon Comedy Hour (or so) starts tonight around 11 p.m. at Golden West Cafe.
Dancing about Dreams (4:10) Baltimore's Full Circle Dance Company is presenting five new choreographic premieres this weekend at the Baltimore Museum of Art, conceived around the notions of dreams and fears--it's entitled The Unconscious. Full Circle's Director Donna Jacobs tells us about her piece in the performance, fear of failure, and dancing with shadows.
Iraq War at Home: A View from Afar (10:54) As part of our week of reflection on the war in Iraq, we've been talking to people who have been personally involved in the conflict. Today we're taking a step back and looking at the impact of the conflict on the region with Dr. Gilbert Burnham, co-director of the Center for Refugee and Disaster Response at Johns Hopkins.
New Ideas for Teacher Pay (09:31) President Obama wants to pay good teachers more and force bad teachers out of the classroom. But the notion of tying teacher pay to performance has always been anathema to teacher unions. In Prince George's County, the school system and teachers' union have forged a compromise: a voluntary pay-for-performance system. Sheilah talks with Carol Kilby, who has a unique perspective on this system--she was on the union side during negotiations, and now she's with the school system as a liaison to the unions.
A Burlesque Dancer, an Evil Hate Monkey (09:11) Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey are a duo who have been leaders in Baltimore's funky and eclectic neo-burlesque scene for the past seven years. They have appeared on Comedy Central, and have made strong impressions at Fringe Festivals in Philadelphia, Washington and Brighton, England. In 2006, they were awarded the Exotic World Best Burlesque Duo trophy in Las Vegas. They're in Baltimore this week with a new show they've written with their colleague Bradford Scobie. It's at the Theater Project, and it's called Mumbo. Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey join Tom in the studio.
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (04:18) Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey take a break from burlesquing to join Tom Hall for this week's calendar.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Iraq War at Home: From Baghdad to Baltimore (10:28) This week we're listening to the stories of a few Marylanders whose lives were changed by the 2003 invasion of Iraq--the invasion enters its sixth year this week. Yesterday we heard from a retired specialist rebuilding his life over on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Today, we hear from an Iraqi pharmacist who began doing humanitarian work in her country right after the start of the war - she was inspired by the potential to make a positive impact. That work, though, made her life in the country dangerous. She talked to Maryland Morning producer Bruce Wallace.
Money Power (09:19) This Saturday, the Baltimore CASH Campaign is hosting a financial fair at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute called "Money Power Day." There will be free tax preparation, credit counseling, and other activities to help Marylanders of all income levels get their finances under control. Baltimore CASH Campaign director Joanna Smith-Ramani joins Sheilah to talk about Money Power Day and how you should adjust your budget if you're worried about a potential layoff.
Baltimore CASH Campaign operates a free, confidential counseling hotline in conjunction with the non-profit Consumer Credit Counseling Services. The number is 877-254-1097.
Also, Friday, March 20, University of Baltimore presents "30 things you can do to lift your business in a downturn" at 8:30 a.m. in the William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center Auditorium.
Illuminated Bibles (13:37) About ten years ago, a Minnesota university and monastery commissioned the first hand-written and hand-illustrated Bible since Gutenberg invented the printing press. The calligrapher started work on Ash Wednesday, 2000. He's almost done. You can see some of this masterpiece at a Walters Art Museum exhibition, The Saint John's Bible: A Modern Vision through Medieval Methods. Tom Hall speaks with two of the curators of the exhibition, Ben Tilghman and Kathryn Gerry.
Retired Spc. Lawrence Towles stands next to a 1989 GMC Suburban he's been retrofitting with parts from old Army vehicles. Iraq War at Home: Honorably Discharged...into a Recession (8:30) Retired Spc. Lawrence Towles, a 23-year-old Iraq veteran from the eastern shore, started applying for jobs after receiving an honorable discharge from the Army last August. He says he has yet to hear back from anyone. Towles' wife is due to have their first baby this summer, and he hopes that he'll land a job as a prison guard by then and can move out of his in-laws' Deal Island home. Maryland Morning Producer Lawrence Lanahan visited Towles in Wenona, Maryland.
This is the first in a series of stories we're doing this week on Marylanders affected by the Iraq war--the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began six years ago this week.
External link: Maryland's Commitment to Veterans The dock where retired Spc. Lawrence Towles sat down with Maryland Morning to tell his story.
Dr. Temple Grandin on Autism (9:56) Temple Grandin is probably most famous for her work with animals and autism. On Friday she'll be giving a talk about autism and her latest book on the subject. She stopped by our studios to talk about autism, aspergers' syndrome and different ways of understanding the world.
Kids on the Tour (13:36) A few days after Barack Obama's inauguration in January, after-school arts program Kids on the Hill led a group of Baltimore area teens on a tour of civil rights landmarks in the South. The students - from both public and private schools - learned as much from their conversations about race and class as they did from visiting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood home. Three of the students, as well as Kids on the Hill founder Rebecca Yenawine, stop by to tell Tom Hall what they learned about Selma, Montgomery, New Orleans, and themselves.
Is The Fat Lady Singing? (09:25) Big news this morning from the Baltimore Opera Company. We talk with the Company's board chair Allan Jensen about what we can expect from the BOC. We'll also Speak with Brendan Cook, founder and director of the Baltimore Concert Opera, about the future of Opera in Baltimore.
To learn more about the Baltimore Concert Opera’s performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, 6 p.m. Wednesday March 25 at the Engineers Club, 11 West Mount Vernon Place.
The Annapolis Opera is staging Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at 8 pm tonight and Sunday, at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis.
Opera Vivente finishes its run of Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at 811 Cathedral St., Baltimore.
The Washington National Opera begins its run of Britten’s Peter Grimes a week from tomorrow, March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Growing Laws (10:47) Several pieces of legislation in front of the General Assembly this session could change how and where food is grown and sold in Maryland. Tom Hall talks to Maryland Morning's food policy expert Lucie Snodgrass about what these bills would do, and how likely it is that they'll pass.
Reely Good Guitar (15:49) Guitarist Robin Bullock currently makes his home in France, but he has long been a familiar figure on the Maryland music scene, both as a member of the world-music trio Helicon, which presents an annual Solstice concert in Baltimore every December, and as a solo artist, who makes yearly appearances throughout the state. Tonight, he will return to An Die Musik in Baltimore for his annual St. Patrick's Day celebration there. First he joins Tom Hall in our studios to play some music and to explain the difference between a reel and a jig.
Web Extra: Full version of Robin Bullock playing "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose"
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Dairy Distress (11:16) Farmers in Maryland cope with a lot of stress. Right now dairy farmers here and elsewhere are being walloped by a collapse in the wholesale price of milk. Dale Johnson, a Farm Management Specialist with the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Jimmy Stup, outgoing president of the Maryland Dairy Industry Association and himself a dairy farmer, join us to talk about the problems past and present for the dairy industry.
Maryland! My Maryland! sheet music State Song Stir Up (11:17) The Maryland state song has stirred much debate as of late. Written in 1861 by James Ryder Randall, the lyrics evoke the Baltimore riots and plead with Maryland to secede from the union, join the confederacy and fight the tyrant Lincoln. Now, Delegate Pamela Beidle of Anne Arundel has introduced a bill to change its lyrics; the bill has a hearing in Annapolis today. Some of the fiercest advocates for the passage of the bill--a class of fourth graders from Glen Burnie Park Elementary--will testify. We talk to the fourth graders, hear from some of the letters they wrote to their delegates, and listen to their opposition present the argument for keeping the state song just the way it is.
Web Extra: More of Sheilah's Conversation with H. George Hahn. Glen Burnie Park Elementary Fourth Graders Sing the John T. White Version of the song.
Go West, Young Woman (08:33) It's Women's History Month, and our literary specialist Alice Steinbach joins Tom Hall to discuss Lillian Schlissel's Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey.
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (05:09) Jimmy "Valentine" Meyer, host of "Bar Bacon Comedy Hour (or so)" at Golden West Cafe in Hampden, joins Tom for the Culture Calendar. Jimmy will be back on the show March 20 to talk about that evening's serving of Bar Bacon.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Living HIV Positive (08:27) Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. It's a day of particular poignancy in Maryland, which ranks higher than almost any other states in new cases of HIV infection. Tonight, students from the University of Maryland-Baltimore, in partnership with the Joint AIDS Community Quest for Unique and Effective Treatment Strategies (JACQUES) initiative, will hold a candlelight vigil. We talk to Derek Spencer, a nurse practitioner who is the director of the JACQUES Initiative at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute of Human Virology; and Judith Shaw--a bride of one year, the mother of a grown daughter, a receptionist at the JACQUES initiative, and a person living with HIV.
Tonight's candlelight vigil for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is from 6 to 7:30p.m. at 725 W. Lombard Street on the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. More information here.
Life Sentences (12:03) Laura Lippman's latest book Life Sentences comes out today. Lippman's 17th book focuses on Cassandra, an author on the rocks consumed by the mystery of a missing child. Laura's book tour starts Tuesday March 10th. She stopped by the studio to talk to us about her new book.
Web Extra: Laura reads from her book Life Sentences Laura and Sheilah's full conversation
The Baltimore Soleil (06:51) In 1984, Cirque du Soleil began as a troupe of 20 street performers in a small town outside of Quebec City. Twenty-five years later, it has grown into a major entertainment company, employing nearly 4,000 people in more than 40 countries. Wherever they're held, Cirque shows always draw a lot of people, and that's no exception when they play Baltimore. They are back in Charm City this week, beginning a run of a new show on Thursday night. They'll set up their trademark Grand Chapiteau, or big-top, in a parking lot near M&T Bank stadium. Tom Hall talks to Clarence Ford, the choreographer for Kooza, Cirque du Soleil's latest production.
Monday, March 9, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Changing the Way We Look at Stem Cells (18:16) News from Washington announcing a lift on the ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research is expected today. Meanwhile in Annapolis, a bill is being considered that will change the Maryland stem cell commission. We talk with Karen Rothenberg, Chair of the Maryland Stem Cell Commission and Dean, Marjorie Cook Professor of Law, and founding Director of Law & Health Care Program at the University of Maryland School of Law and Brian Feldman, Democrat from Montgomery County and sponsor of the bill about changes in Maryland. Then we take a look at stem cell research from the inside out with Randall Mills, President and CEO of Osiris Therapeutics, Richard Garr, president and CEO of Neural Stem and Doctor Valina Dawson, founding director of the Neuro Regeneration laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.
Rust Never Sleeps (08:55) Writer Philipp Meyer grew up in Baltimore, but he's roamed around a lot of towns and held a lot of different jobs. The characters in his debut novel American Rust - released last week - roam the fallen-down steel towns of Western Pennsylvania and beyond. Tonight, Meyer will roam back to Baltimore for a reading and book signing at the Ivy Bookstore. He joins Tom Hall to talk about American Rust.
Philipp Meyer will be at the Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore today, March 9, at 6p.m. 6080 Falls Road, 410-377-2966
From Tehran to Towson (04:51) Towson University graphic design professor Nahid Tootoonchi spent the last two summers in Tehran, collecting poster art and interviewing graphic designers. You can see what she found at "Beneath the Surface," an exhibition at Towson University. Tom Hall talks to Professor Tootoonchi about art's ability to open windows on a misunderstood culture.
The "Beneath the Surface" Poster Exhibition from Iran will be at Towson University's Center for the Arts Gallery through April 18. Admission is free. For more information, call 410-704-2787.
Friday, March 6, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Foreclosure in the Free State (10:40) Two days ago, the Obama administration announced details of a rescue plan it says will keep nine million Americans in their homes and out of foreclosure. This morning we're going look at how this new plan might change things for Maryland home owners. Anne Balcer Norton Director of Foreclosure Prevention at Saint Ambrose Housing Aid Center and Raymond Skinner, Secretary of Housing & Community Development join us to talk about how it will change things for Marylanders.
Web Extra: Sheilah and Anne continue their conversation on who is eligible for federal assistance
A Look at Asian-American Health (09:53) In Maryland, different Asian immigrant communities - Burmese, Cambodian, Thai, Pakistani - have different health outcomes. Dr. Sunmin Lee, an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, recently surveyed 13 different Asian-American communities in Montgomery County about their health concerns, and she tells Sheilah Kast what she found out.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 - Hear the Full Show: CRISP in Maryland (10:16) Electronic medical records are one of the technological leaps that seem almost within our grasp. Now with money from the stimulus package to make it happen and legislation in the general assembly pushing for doctors to convert their records we might see it happening. Maryland is currently developing plans for a system to make using and sharing these electronic medical records useful, one of the prospective plans being discussed right now is CRISP or the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients. David Horrocks, Sr. Vice president at Erickson Retirement Communities, project leader of CRISP And Mark Keleman, Cardiologist, University Of Maryland Medical System chief medical information officer; steering committee for CRISP stop by to tell us how it works and why we need it.
Non Profits in the Recession (09:58) It's not only the state government and businesses in Maryland that are being hammered by the recession. So are non-profits. Today we look at the state of Non profits in Maryland with Darryl Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Maryland Non profits. Joining us by phone is Lester Salamon, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies.
United Way of Central Maryland is trying to raise $1 million to distribute to front-line nonprofit agencies providing food, shelter and utility assistance to people in crisis across central Maryland.
External Links: Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies Maryland Non Profits United Way of Central Maryland Garden Planning (08:30) You wouldn't know it by the snow and ice on the ground, but it's time to start planning this year's garden. Anne Raver writes about gardening for the New York Times from a farm in Carroll County, and she joins Tom to help us find our green thumbs.
More designer, author, and blogger recommendations from Anne Raver: Rosemary Verey Christopher Lloyd Wayne Winterrowd and Joe Eck Nan Ondra Ethne Clark
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (05:39) Midday with Dan Rodricks intern Claire Caplan joins Tom for the Culture Calendar
8th Annual Women's Expo Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 L Building at Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville
Panel discussion about piracy on the high seas Hosted by the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs Tuesday, March 10 World Trade Center, Inner Harbor For reservations, call (410) 727-2150 or e-mail bcfaprograms@verizon.com
2nd Annual Community Law Forum Saturday, March 7 Center for Applied Learning and Technology at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold Information at 410-777-7370 or kcook@aacc.edu
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: Maryland's Electricity Market (14:27) Re-regulating? Un-de-regulating? Whatever you want to call it, legislators are itching to roll back Maryland's ten-year experiment in deregulation, and some would go farther than others. We talk with an opponent and a supporter of the most far-reaching bill, and then we go to Andy Rosen from The Daily Record to hear about its chances in Annapolis. We also hear from Maryland Energy Administration director Malcolm Woolf about the O'Malley administration's new legislative regulation gambit.
Stimulus and Public Arts (13:24) We welcome Theresa Colvin, Executive Director of the MSAC, and Kelly Barsdate, Chief Program and Planning Officer of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, back to the show to talk about public support for the arts in Maryland.
New News is Good News (14:33) The news about the news is not good: The Baltimore Sun has shrunk considerably over the last few years, Baltimore Examiner just folded, and Rocky Mountain News published its last edition on Friday. However, some of the reporters leaving these newspapers have launched local news websites to report the stories that their former employers are missing. Sheilah talks to former print reporters Brian Goodman, Stephen Janis, and Fern Shen, all of whom have started online news sites in Maryland.
Flu Season in the Free State (05:38) It's that time of the year when everyone gets the flu. While we all think we can just muddle through the flu is not to be taken lightly, two Maryland teenagers have already died. We talk with Doctor Peter Beilenson, Health Officer for Howard County, about how to spot the flu and what to do if you have it.
Art by the Numbers (09:53) Last fall, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) commissioned a statewide survey on the arts which seems to indicate that Marylanders are very highly engaged with the arts and artists. The survey was conducted by the research firm, OpinionWorks. To find out what numbers can tell us about art, we talk to Steve Raabe, the principal in OpinionWorks; Theresa Colvin, the Executive Director of MSAC; and Kelly Barsdate, Chief Program and Planning Officer at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Pictures in Bloom (04:17) If writing about music is like dancing about architecture then what is gardening about painting like? Tom finds out as we talk to the organizer of Art Blooms at the Walters, an annual event where gardeners are asked to interpret works through their craft.
Maryland's Community College Community (13:46) Everyone is tightening belts these days, but things are especially hard for Maryland's community colleges and their students. More students are applying to community colleges at the same time that their funding is being cut. We hear from students at Baltimore City Community College and talk with Dr. Kathleen Hetherington, president of Howard Community College; Dr. W. Steven Pannill; President of Cecil Community College; and Clay Whitlow, Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges about where community education stands in Maryland.
Listening to Listen to the Wind (07:25) We talk to Susan L. Roth, an artist who spent much of her life in Maryland. She's coming back to Baltimore on Tuesday for tea at the Peace Study Center. Tea, because her newest book of collages, a book for young children, is called Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea.
Handel With Choir (08:40) The Handel Choir of Baltimore is approaching its 75th anniversary. The choir is known for its annual performance of Handel's Messiah, but this Sunday they will perform the music of 20th century French composer Maurice Durufle. Tom asks conductor Melinda O'Neal how a Handel choir handles different eras of choral music.
The Handel Choir of Baltimore performs Durufle's Requiem at Grace United Methodist Church in Baltimore on Sunday, March 1 at 4 p.m. For tickets, call 1.800.838.3006 or visit brownpapertickets.com.
Totally Almost, Maine (04:46) Maryland Morning Theater Critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews Almost, Maine, a play up through March 7 at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick. More information here.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - Hear the Full Show:
Transporting the Stimulus into Maryland (10:46) Money from the federal stimulus package is finally flowing into the free state and we have our shovels at the ready. But what exactly is this money going to? We talk with Kelly Clifton, associate professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Maryland and research faculty at the National Center for Smart Growth; and Dan Pontius, Director of the Citizens Planning and Housing Association about what the money is funding and how we can expect things to change. External Links: Maryland Department of Transportation's page on the Stimulus Money Kelly Clifton's homepage Citizens Planning and Housing Association
SNCC Freedom singers, Rutha Harris is second from left Let Freedom Sing (08:56) The Freedom Singers weren't just the soundtrack to the civil rights movement--they helped it move forward. In the early 1960s, Rutha Harris and the other Singers toured through 48 states raising money for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Ms. Harris joins Maryland Morning to talk about how music can inspire change.
Tomorrow morning at the Hippodrome Theater, Ms. Harris will participate in a conversation about the civil rights movement moderated by WYPR's own Fraser Smith. Of course, she'll sing, too. There aren't many tickets left, but you can try and RSVP at GMDevents@PNC.com or call 410-237-5549.
"A Conversation in Courage" in song and verse with Ms. Rutha Harris, moderated by Fraser Smith: Thursday, February 26 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore
Chicken Soup is Salubrious (and Sexy?) (09:18) Sascha Wolhandler, co-owner of Sascha's 527 Cafe in Baltimore, gives Tom Hall new ideas about an old standby: chicken soup.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Working to Classify Workers Right (13:18) With the federal stimulus package set to give the sluggish construction industry a shot in the arm, and with predictions of grim revenue reports on the horizon for Maryland, debate is heating up about a labor bill that proponents say would protect workers and capture millions of dollars for state coffers, and opponents say would stymie much of the construction work in Maryland. The bill involves the misclassification of workers, and it is being pushed by the Governor and the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. We talk with Tom Perez, secretary of the Labor Department, and Mike Pappas, a construction lawyer and member of the Associated Builders and Contractors, an industry group that opposes the bill. Then we hear from Jorge, a carpenter who is paid as an independent contractor but believes he should be classified as an employee. (We decided to only use Jorge's first name in order to limit possible repercussions for him.)
Web Extras: Mike Pappas on the idea of a safe harbor for contracts that identify someone as an independent contractor, and Secretary Perez on why that could create more problems. Jorge on getting an employee sponsor.
Calling all Animals (08:47) The members of the indie/avant-garde/whatever band Animal Collective grew up in Maryland, and named their new album Merriweather Post Pavilion after the venue in Columbia, Maryland. Our show is about Maryland. We talk to Dave Portner and Brian Weitz, two members of Animal Collective, about the album and the venue.
Web Extra: Brian and Dave on recording the album Campfire Songs on a porch in Monkton, Maryland, and how making an album has changed since then. External Link: Animal Collective bio
Monday February 23, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Mama Said Bail You Out (13:13) Actually it wasn't Mama, it was Hank Paulson. And if you talk to W. Moorhead Vermilye, president and CEO of Shore Bancshares in Easton, don't call it a bailout. Shore got $25 million from the U.S. Treasury's $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program, but Vermilye says that was just to help his successful bank thaw the credit freeze by lending even more money to local consumers and small businesses. We talk to Vermilye and Ron Paul - no, not that Ron Paul...this one is the CEO of Eagle Bank in Bethesda - about whether TARP has really helped them to get those loans flowing.
After that, we check in briefly with Scott Graham, managing editor of the Baltimore Business Journal, to see if loans are reaching small businesses yet.
Members of Single Carrot: Jessica Garrett, Elliott Rauh, Nathan A. Cooper, Brendan Ragan, Genevieve deMahy.
Veg With a Mission: The Single Carrot Theater (08:44) The Single Carrot Theater is one of latest additions to Baltimore's theater scene. Their current performance is Killer Joe, which the company describes as the "deliciously disturbing, twisted tale about a familial back stabbing that goes horribly awry." Company members Brendan Ragan and J. Buck Jabaily stop by to talk with Tom about their company, the new show and working in a very intimate setting.
Friday February 20th, 2009- Hear the Full Show: A Stimulus for Maryland's Neediest? (13:00) The federal stimulus package signed by President Obama earlier this week could send $4 billion to Maryland over the next three years. Some of that will shore up the safety net for Maryland's poor, but are the agencies who work with the poor ready to handle this sudden influx of resources? We talk with Peter Sabonis from Maryland Legal Aid, which provides legal services to low-income Marylanders, and Neil Bergsman of the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute. Then we hear from John Colmers, Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, one of the agencies that administers these safety net services. Web Extras: Secretary Colmers on what's happening with the planned expansion of Medicaid to adults without children. Peter Sabonis talks about client troubles with local departments of social services.
Let's Go to The Movies! (8:44) The Oscars are this Sunday and you're probably already sick of hearing about them. Even though we can all re-enact Slumdog Millionaire scene for scene, there are a lot of movies nominated this year that haven't gotten a lot of press. Mike Sragow, film critic for the Baltimore Sun, and Jed Dietz from the Maryland Film Festival stop by to give us the scoop on this year's invisible Oscars.
Maryland Gets Stimulated (07:56) It's hard to fathom what $787 billion dollars even means. (Try this: Baltimore has 631,366 residents. Square that number...and then double it.) But that's the size of the economic stimulus bill President Obama signed yesterday. We talk to Baltimore Sun D.C. bureau chief Paul West about Maryland's slice of the stimulus pie.
The teens in Teen CSI Baltimore "interrogate" a "witness". (Photo by Andy Cook) Teen CSI Baltimore: Murder...not so foul? (05:16) Teen CSI Baltimore is on another case. There's been a murder in the Silo Point condos. The maintenance manager was fatally shot and Baltimore's finest are hot on the trail of the suspect. Well...Baltimore's finest teen crime investigation squad. No one actually got shot, and the police have known about the whole thing for months. In fact, they helped set it up! Confused? Surprised? We were too. We take a look inside Teen CSI Baltimore, an after-school program that shows kids the reality behind the TV show.
The Last Synapsid (08:46) According to author Timothy Mason, we evolved from a creature that predated the dinosaurs and looked like a weiner dog with a turtle's head: the synapsid. Mason's new children's book, illustrated by Baltimore School for the Arts student Paul Cronan, follows a time-traveling synapsid's adventures in a tiny Colorado mountain town. Tom Hall talks to them both about their collaboration on The Last Synapsid.
Timothy Mason and Paul Cronan will appear at the Ivy Bookshop in Mt. Washington on Saturday, February 21 at 9 a.m. 6080 Falls Rd. Baltimore. External Links: The Last Synapsid Baltimore School for the Arts
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (The Culture Calendar is only on the web this week) (04:38)
Tom is joined this week by Maryland Morning producer Lawrence Lanahan.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show: New Approaches to Elder Care (12:00) Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring recently opened a first-of-kind emergency room--one that structures acute emergency care around the needs of senior citizens. In designing the new ER, Holy Cross turned to the Erickson School at University of Maryland Baltimore County--specifically to Dr. Bill Thomas, professor of aging studies. Dr. Thomas explains why the design makes sense for elder patients, and, really, for everyone.
Emergency! Emergency Medical Care in the Recession (07:34) Times are tight for everyone, but what kind of a squeeze is the recession putting on the most necessary of services? We talk with Dr. Leigh Vinocur about how Maryland's emergency rooms are faring during the economic emergency.
Flavors of Old Bay and Galway Bay (13:35) They say that Galway Bay flows all the way up to the Inner Harbor. Or, if they don't, they should. Peter Brice, Jim Eagan, and Brendan Bell are three of the ten members of the Old Bay Ceili Band--a group that blends traditional Irish Music with Maryland flavors. They join Tom in the studio to talk about and play some of their music, and to preview the Traditional Folk Music Concert Series, which begins at the Chesapeake Performing Arts Center this Saturday with a performance by the full Old Bay Ceili Band.
Web Extra: Old Bay Ceili Band Play "Baltimore Salute" in WYPR studios
Monday, February 16, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Faster Access to Veterans' Mental Health Services (14:11) Here's one sound familiar to veterans trying to get help with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: "Press 1 for...". Laura Copland, director of Maryland's Commitment to Veterans, and Michael Bargiband, one of the program's resource coordinators, are cutting through red tape to help veterans get mental health services. We talk to them, and we hear from Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, an Iraq veteran himself, about a possible expansion of this state program.
Listen to the full version of the interview with Laura Copland and Michael Bargiband of Maryland's Commitment to Veterans: (44:18)
Listen to an interview with Lt. Governor Brown about expanding Maryland's Commitment to Veterans: (3:47)
If you know of or are a veteran who needs to access behavioral health services, the number for Maryland's Commitment to Veterans is 877-770-4801.
Healthy Heart, Healthy Life (05:43) February is Heart Month and a lot has been done to promote awareness. But for all the pamphlets, flyers and reading you don't know if you're healthy until you get tested. We hear the story of Monyka Berrocosa, a Baltimore business woman and journalist who changed her life when she got tested.
Heart Health Screenings: Tuesday, February 24, 8:00am - 4:00pm at the Baltimore Convention Center Call 410-649-7000 for more information
Another Look at Lincoln (13:49) America celebrated Honest Abe's 200th birthday last Thursday. In honor of the historic occasion events were held, parties were thrown and all year long books have been published. This President's Day we take another look at Lincoln with author Daniel Mark Epstein whose latest book is Lincoln's Men - The President and His Private Secretaries, his third book on Lincoln.
Mr. Epstein will be appearing at the Barnes and Noble store on the Johns Hopkins campus in Charles Village Tuesday night at 7pm.
External Links: Daniel Mark Epstein Friday, February 13, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show: Foreclosure in the Free State (04:47) January's foreclosure numbers are out and it looks like the country's homeowners are fairing a little better. But numbers don't give the whole picture. We talk with Rick Sharga, vice-president of RealtyTrac, which analyzes the housing and foreclosure markets, about what is really going on with foreclosures nationally and in Maryland.
The Ultra-Fine Art of Teleportation (09:48) Now wait, don't start yelling "Beam me up Scotty!" just yet. Scientists at the University of Maryland have successfully used quantum teleportation to "send" information from one atom to another. We talk with Chris Monroe, the leader of the project, about how they did it. We also ask him, assuming we're not all getting our own teleporters soon, what impact this will have on our lives.
External Links: Chris Monroe's Website Fables and Truths in Fabulation (06:03) Maryland Morning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews Fabulation or, The Re-education of Undine, up through March 8 at Center Stage in Baltimore. Information on the performance here. External Link: Playwright Lynn Nottage's bio
Robby Rackleff performs the history of video games as Blue Leader at Whartscape.
Performance Art in CharmCity (08:58) Performance art is hard to define, but Baltimore's performance art scene is thriving. We talk with newcomer Robby Rackleff and one of the long time fixtures of the Baltimore scene Laure Drogoul about performance art in Baltimore and their own work.
Detail from "An Abundance of Cups" exhibit at Baltimore Clayworks
Care for some Art with your Tea? (05:06) Tom Hall talks to Deborah Bedwell, Executive Director of Baltimore Clayworks, about her own work--which is featured in a current exhibit at Clayworks--and about lots of other things happening now at the gallery/studio/workshop/etc.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - Hear the Full Show:
Subway cars on their way to becoming aquatic reefs off the coast of Ocean City, MD Graveyard for Subway Cars; Playground for Anemone (07:07) If ever you've stayed awake at night wondering where New York City Subway Cars go to die, we've got the answer: Ocean City, Maryland. Although if you ask our guest Marty Gary, Fisheries Ecologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, he'd say Ocean City is actually where they go to live. Gary tells us about the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, a privately-funded project overseen by the Maryland DNR that is using old subway cars and huge chunks of old bridges to grow new aquatic ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay.
The Beautiful Struggle (13:24) Among his accomplishments, Paul Coates can list service in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, working as a university librarian, activism as a Black Panther, founding and running an Afro-centric publishing house--Black Classics Press in Baltimore--and raising seven kids in Baltimore against great odds. One of those sons is Ta-Nehisi Coates, a freelance writer whose blog at the Atlantic.com is destination reading for many. Ta-Nehisi Coates has written the story of his growing up in Baltimore, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons and an Unlikely Road to Manhood. They joined us in the studio to talk about that road.
From Canada, with Jazz (09:42) Jazz musician Jeff Antoniuk hails from Canada but has been a long-time power on the Maryland jazz scene. He stops by to talk to Tom about the challenges and joys of teaching and playing jazz.
Events Discussed: inDepth Jazz Clinic with Jeff Antoniuk Sunday, February 15 Towson University.
JazzUpdate, featuring Jeff Antoniuk Wednesday, Feb 25 49 West Coffeehouse in Annapolis
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (04:08) Tom is joined this week by Jacqueline Steber, intern in WYPR's membership department.
Events Discussed: Almost, Maine Maryland Ensemble Theater through March 7
Well Swirnow Theater in the Mattin Arts Center on the Johns Hopkins University's Homewood campus Opens Valentines Day Theater Hopkins at (410) 516-7159, or by e-mail to thehop@jhu.edu
Feeding Poe's Muse: The Secret Obsessions of Edgar Allan Poe Maryland Historical Society, Thursday February 12th For reservations, call 410-685-3750 ext. 319
NAACP and Lincoln events: Information on NAACP 100th anniversary events here.
Ice: A Winter's Event - Thursday at 12p.m. Center Plaza at Fayette and Charles St., Baltimore A presentation by Robert Roberts, an award-winning ice sculptor, at Center Plaza. Also on offer are Charm City Cupcakes and hot chocolate from the Tremont Cafe.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Keeping Guns Away from Abusers (12:47) Two Maryland bills that would take guns away from potential domestic abusers died in the House Judiciary Committee last year. Now the bills are back with a high profile sponsor: Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. We talk to the Lt. Governor, then have a conversation with two delegates on the committee: Del. Kathleen Dumais, a Democrat from Montgomery County who supports the bills; and Del. Michael Smigiel, a Republican from the upper Eastern Shore who opposes them. External Links: Governor O'Malley and Lt. Governor Brown announce their domestic violence legislative initiative Del. Kathleen Dumais's website Del. Michael Smigiel's website
A Shadowy Master (07:18) In this month's literary review, Susan McCallum Smith, book critic for the Urbanite, shares her thoughts on a recently-published collection that pairs works of Edgar Allen Poe with essays by modern mystery writers calledIn the Shadow of The Master.
Good Grease (08:34) Tom talks to Maryland Morning Theater Critic J. Wynn Rousuck about Grease, which is playing at the Hippodrome at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in Baltimore through Sunday, February 15.
Popcorn and Pavarotti: Opera at the Charles (04:59) Opera and movie buff (and Professor of History at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland) Charles Ritter tells Tom about Opera simulcasts and Cinema Sundays at the Charles.
Monday, February 9, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Where Have all the Doctors Gone? (10:33) The shortage of practicing physicians that Maryland has been worrying about for several years isn't getting any better in this recession. Dr. Leigh Vinocur, an emergency room physician and Dr. Albert Reece, dean of the University of Maryland's School of Medicine (also the chair of the National Council of Deans at the American Association of Medical Colleges) join us to talk about the predicament.
Green (and Blue) Investing (09:09) Nobody is investing in anything, states are slashing budgets--we talk to two people with the solution. Well, a solution. John Campagna is Managing Director of Benchmark Asset Managers; James Remuzzi is President of Sustainable Solutions LLC. They're collaborating on an effort called the Chesapeake EcoFinance Development Corp. which is developing a private-sector model for improving the environmental health of public spaces--in this case the Chesapeake Bay.
Web Extra: James Remuzzi explains the "Bay Bank", the financing infrastructure behind the Chesapeake EcoFinance idea.
Winter turns to Strings (14:07) Baltimore Sun classical music critic Tim Smith brings us his picks from the season's local orchestral, choral, and operatic offerings.
Programming Note: As mentioned in this segment, the Metropolitan Opera simulcasts at the Lyric Opera House are discontinued for the time being. You can find information on other theaters in Maryland that carry the simulcasts here.
Friday, February 6, 2009 - Listen to the Whole Show:
Smarter Smart Growth (11:09) Governor O'Malley recently submitted a package of bills to the General Assembly aimed at giving the state's anti-sprawl Smart Growth program more muscle. Some environmental advocates say he doesn't go far enough, but some local officials say he would go too far. We talk to Senator David Harrington, a Democrat from Prince George's County who is introducing legislation today that would go further than the governor's; and Les Knapp, associate director of the Maryland Association of Counties, who has concerns about how either legislative package would affect local governments.
External Links: Senator Harrington's Website Maryland Association of Counties Governor O'Malley's Smart Growth legislative package Where You Live: A History of Housing Segregation Laws in Baltimore (09:35) The NAACP's 100th anniversary is just days away, with several events in Baltimore and nationally scheduled to mark the occasion. A few years after the NAACP was founded in 1909, the Baltimore branch came into existence -in large part to address one issue that was particularly acute in the city of Baltimore: housing segregation. We talk to Dennis Doster, a graduate student in the History Department at the University of Maryland, about this moment in the city's history. Doster is presenting a paper on the subject tomorrow as part of "The Civil Rights Century: The NAACP at 100", a conference at Johns Hopkins.
Growing the Embryonic Stem Cell Industry Part 1: (11:42) Part 2: (07:35) Stem Cell research in America is at a turning point: the FDA has approved the first human trials of embryonic stem cells. We look at Maryland's Stem-cell research industry with Richard Garr, the head of Rockville biotech company Neuralstem. Then we turn to two Maryland Bioethicists: Leslie Meltzer of the University of Maryland School of Law; and Dr. Ruth Faden, director of the Berman Institute for Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University.
Ascension by Philip Koch The Strange and Familiar World of Philip Koch (09:13) The artist Philip Koch has been on the faculty of the MD Institute College of Art for 36 years. MICA is hosting a show of his work through the middle of next month. It's called "Unbroken Thread: Nature Paintings and the American Imagination. The Art of Philip Koch". When it closes here in Baltimore, the show will travel to Cape Cod, Indiana, Michigan, and Washington State over the next few years. Tom Hall talks to Philip Koch about bringing 19th century landscape painting into the 21st century.
The "Unbroken Thread" exhibit is on display at the Pinkard Gallery at Maryland Institute College of Art through March 15. The Opening reception is Thursday, February 5 from 5 to 7p.m.
Maryland Morning Culture Calendar (04:54) This week, Tom is joined by brand-new Maryland Morning Producer Lawrence Lanahan.
Events Discussed: If I Didn't Care: Multigenerational Artist Discuss Cultural Histories At Park School until March 30th. For more information e-mail hjacobs@parkschool.net or call 410-339-4126
Women on Fire, Allegany Arts Council's Community Room Friday, February 6. For more information call 301-268-3724
Memories of Eubie: Remembering the Past by Cultivating the Future Eubie Blake Center on North Howard Street in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon For more information contact Troy Burton 410-225-3130 eubieblake@rcn.com
Baltimore County's African American History Bus Tour Wednesday, February 11, from 10a.m. to 4p.m. Reserve space by February 5 by calling 410-887-5557 countynews@baltimorecountymd.gov
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Slots in Boxes (10:30) Boxes of documents detailing the first six bids put in to operate slots parlors in Maryland arrived in Annapolis yesterday. What's in the boxes? Good question. We talk to Baltimore Sun reporter Gadi Dechter and financial analyst Jeff Hooke to find out what they know about the documents in those boxes, who submitted them, and what happens next.
Put On Your Red Dress Sunday (09:05) On Sunday, about 100 churches in Maryland will see an unusual number of their female worshipers in red dress. In fact, Sunday is the fifth Red Dress Sunday--an event St. Agnes Hospital started five years ago to spread the word--especially among African-American women--about the factors that contribute to heart disease, what the dangers are, and how to prevent it. David Simpkins, Vice President of Planning, Marketing & Business Development at St. Agnes; and Susan Frazier, who coordinates Red Dress Sunday activities at her church, Douglas Memorial Community Church; stop by to tell us what it's all about.
Keep Yourself Healthy! Free cholesterol, body-mass index and blood pressure testing from 8 a.m. to 4 pm at St. Agnes Hospital auditorium. Register at 410 825 2372 or mcf@mgmtsol.com
The Remix to Ignite Baltimore (13:55) If you think Mike Subelsky is trying to light a fire under Baltimoreans, you're right. He's the co-founder of "Ignite Baltimore", a group that brings people together to hear ideas from their fellow Charm City residents about anything they're passionate about. Mike joined us in the studio along with David Adewumi, the guest organizer for the next upcoming ignite session.
Ignite Baltimore 2 is this Thursday at 6:00 at the Windup Space on North Avenue between Maryland and Charles.
Monday, February 2, 2009 - Listen to the Full Show:
Nursing Shortage in Maryland (10:49) The recession means job cuts almost across the board, but the recession proof health care profession is still looking to fill nursing positions. This week a representatives from eighteen states will convene in Maryland to try to work out the problems the nursing industry faces. Catherine Crowley, vice president of the Maryland Hospital Association and Erick Seleznow Director of the Governor's Work Force Investment Board join us to talk about possible solutions.
External Links: Maryland's Hopital Association Governor's Work Force Investment Board A Law School Grows in Afghanistan (04:46) There are just too many lawyers! That’s a complaint you hear often. And, of course, there are many law schools. In the U.S. alone there are close to 200 accredited law schools and over one million lawyers. But some parts of the world have the opposite problem -- too few lawyers, and too few law schools. Afghanistan, for instance, has just 236 licensed lawyers, according to a 2007 UN Report - and has just six law schools. Six law schools and a program that hopes to grow into a law school at the American University in Afghanistan. The force behind it is an initiative led by American law students - the Stanford Afghanistan Legal Education Project. Alexander Bernard, the force behind the program joins us to talk about his project.
Maryland Murray on Maryland Morning (04:51) This morning we get our long term weather forecast from if not the most accurate source than at least the most cuddly one. Lee Fiedler, Mayor of Cumberland Maryland and master of ceremonies for the weather predicting whistlepig of Cumberland: Maryland Murray.
I Am My Own Wife Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf, the Subject of I am My Own Wife (13:45) Bruce Nelson is the leading man, woman, and all the supporting character’s in the Everyman Theater’s Production of I am My Own Wife. He stops by to talk with Tom about the show and the life of the transvestite who is its main character.
