2020 – Baltimore Magazine

2020: Year in Review

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 20:06:06 +0000

Twenty of the most pivotal events in Baltimore this year, in chronological order.

By Ron Cassie, Lauren Cohen, Janelle Erlichman Diamond, Ken Iglehart, Christine Jackson, Jane Marion, Max Weiss, and Lydia Woolever
Photo illustration by Lorann Cocca

News & Community

2020: Year In Review

Twenty of the most pivotal events in Baltimore this year, in chronological order.

By Ron Cassie, Lauren Cohen, Janelle Erlichman Diamond, Ken Iglehart, Christine Jackson, Jane Marion, Max Weiss, and Lydia Woolever
Photo illustration by Lorann Cocca

We’re not going to lie, 2020 was a lot. But the funny thing was, when we were sitting around “the office” (a Zoom chat room) trying to brainstorm the 20 biggest events of the year, we were a bit stumped. It’s not that a lot of stuff didn’t happen—it did. But, in a way, everything seemed to fall under the same three umbrellas—COVID, our nation’s and region’s racial reckoning, and the incendiary political climate. Heck, this entire list could’ve been about COVID alone—the heroic local efforts to combat and chart the spread; its massive unemployment toll; its impact on the dining, retail, and arts scenes; the canceled events (no Artscape or AFRAM); the disparities, both in terms of health care access and economic stability, that the virus underscored; the greater understanding of the “digital divide” that we gained, and so on. But, at the same, we literally spent the majority of the year stuck in our homes—so we were a little short on actual “events.” That said, here’s our best attempt to sum up an undoubtedly tragic and surreal year. —MW

JHU’s COVID-19 Dashboard Becomes a Go-To Resource

In January, a team of Johns Hopkins University engineers started tracking the novel coronavirus as it began its initial spread around the globe. Lauren Gardner, an infectious disease specialist and co-director of the school’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering, led a tiny team of PhD students to build an online, real-time dashboard to document the data, which quickly went viral itself. This summer, it garnered more than 4.5 billion hits a day from public health authorities, researchers, and the general public. Gardner’s impressive work landed her on Time magazine’s list of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2020,” in which Baltimore’s own former health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen declared the dashboard an “indispensable resource” and its inventor a hero in her own right. “In the face of an existential threat, Lauren took action,” wrote Wen. “She didn’t wait for others—she stepped up first. She democratized data and filled a void of public-health leadership. Lives will be saved because of her proactive work.” Photography by Mike Morgan

Restaurants Show Resilience

Restaurants have always been the lifeblood of our city, so when they were forced to close in mid-March due to the pandemic and then, over many months, re-opened at varying rates of capacity, we feared that this could spell the end of dining out as we know it. And while only time will tell, for now, something stirring has happened, as signs of reinvention and resilience abound. We could go on and on, but the pivots we appreciate most include outdoor parklets and streeteries, heated tents complete with swinging chandeliers, individual greenhouses, QR codes in place of paper menus, temperature checks, and contact lists, ad-hoc pantries, and soup kitchens feeding not only the hungry and the homeless but health care workers, too. While we mourn the ones we’ve lost (we will miss you Lobo and The Milton Inn), new spots—from Nihao to Café Dear Leon and Ovenbird Bakery—have sprung up, too. Clearly, the scene—however changed—is here to stay. We are smiling beneath our masks. Photography by Scott Suchman

“Spy Planes” Launch Into the Skies Over Baltimore

High-tech aerial surveillance—some would say Orwellian—planes flew over Baltimore this past year, which city residents no doubt saw and heard day after day. A U.S. District Court judge gave the go-ahead in April to the civil liberties-challenged and privately funded Baltimore Police Department pilot program known as Aerial Investigation Research (AIR). The first of its kind in the country, the initiative collected images of vehicle and pedestrian movements across 90 percent of the city, up to 12 hours daily, for six months from May through the end of October after former Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young greenlit the experiment without a vote by the City Council. Newly elected Mayor Brandon Scott has said he does not support the surveillance program, or “spy planes” as the effort is often derided, so its future remains unclear. One recent follow-up study showed the aerial surveillance indicated a slight benefit—an increase of 3.6 percent—in “provisionally” closed cases with an arrest, but the question remains at what cost to Baltimoreans’ civil liberties. Meanwhile, the Ohio-based Persistent Surveillance Systems, which owns the technology, is pitching its eerie aerial program in St. Louis. Shutterstock

The Sun Wins Pulitzer Prize

It’s what every journalist dreams of—writing an investigative story that brings down a powerful figure and results in the Pulitzer Prize. And that’s exactly what happened this year when staff of the Sun won the Pulitzer for “Local Reporting” for discovering and covering the Catherine Pugh Healthy Holly scandal. But even as the paper continued to do superlative journalism, not all was rosy. In May, the Sun news guild announced it had found a local ownership group—its ranks include the Abell Foundation, the Goldseker Foundation, and former Baltimore County executive Ted Venetoulis—that wanted to buy the paper and turn it into a nonprofit. This proposal stemmed from the Guild’s dissatisfaction with the current owners, Tribune Publishing, whose relationship with notorious hedge fund firm Alden Global Capital has led to layoffs and other budget cuts. “As a nonprofit, any profits the Sun makes could be put back into making sure that it becomes a better newspaper,” reporter Liz Bowie, co-chair of the local unit of the Washington-Baltimore Press Guild, told us in May. “We could have more reporters, more photographers, more editors.” Updates on the Guild’s efforts can be found here. Photo courtesy of Weller Management

Iconic Charm City Festivals Go Virtual

Typically, as the last of the ice melts and temperatures begin to climb, organizers of Baltimore’s spring and summer festivals begin gearing up for the likes of HonFest, Artscape, and AFRAM. But with coronavirus cases rising and officials actively discouraging large gatherings, the city took a year off from hosting many of the time-honored get-togethers that have been a part of our culture for decades. That meant no cooling off in the water misters at Artscape, no dancing along the parade route at the Baltimore Caribbean Carnival, no watching the toilet bowl races down Chestnut Avenue at Hampden Fest. If there was a silver lining, it was seeing organizers turn lemons (stuck with peppermint sticks in the case of Flower Mart) into lemonade, with virtual events that were able to maintain the spirit of the summer. HonFest celebrated the city’s best beehives on social media, Artscape hosted an online artists’ market, and even winter events like the 49th annual Monument Lighting in Mt. Vernon followed suit with virtual iterations as the holidays rolled around. Courtesy of BOPA

Baltimore Stands with Black Lives Matter

In the weeks following the death of George Floyd, an outpouring of rage and grief swept across the United States, including here in Baltimore, just one month after the five-year anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray. From downtown to the county, dozens of peaceful protests popped up, with Baltimoreans of every age and race, including then mayoral candidate—now incumbent mayor—Brandon Scott, taking to the streets with colorful signs and calls for action. Youth activists demanded more inclusive curriculum in public schools, while transgender organizers reminded the community of their particular plight within broader systemic racism, with a photograph from the latter march by local photographer Devin Allen landing on the cover of Time magazine. Meanwhile, residents used art installations in their local parks and murals on the asphalt of their neighborhoods to declare solidarity with Black Lives Matter—three simple words that have become a clarion call for justice in 2020. Photography by Lorann Cocca

Columbus Statue Toppled, Thrown Into the Harbor

Amid Fourth of July fireworks displays across the city, activists toppled the marble Christopher Columbus statue near Little Italy and dumped it into the Inner Harbor. The destruction of the memorial to the Genoa-born Columbus followed similar actions in cities across the country and hardly came as a surprise here. Two weeks before the vandalism, an anti-racist protest group known as Baltimore Bloc had warned Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young that activists planned to take down the Columbus monument if the city did not act to remove it as it had done previously with Baltimore’s four Confederate monuments. The statue at the eastern edge of the Inner Harbor, the most prominent of three Baltimore monuments to Columbus, had been unveiled in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and Mayor William Donald Schaefer. The 14-foot statue was paid for by a fundraising campaign led by the Italian American Organizations United of Maryland, which is recreating the statue with plans to reinstall it on private property elsewhere in the region. Shutterstock

Larry Hogan Raises His National Profile

Larry Hogan has never met a media opportunity he didn’t like—or so it seems. It comes as no big shock, then, that the historically popular two-term Republican governor is starting to hint at a run for higher office—maybe even that really high one, especially since the GOP is in such dire need of a reinvention by a likeable, Reagan-esque leader. (It was Reagan’s name, after all, that Hogan claimed he wrote in as a protest vote in November.) And, in fact, after burnishing his reputation here and nationally with a fairly capable response to the pandemic, the frequent Trump critic has said he wouldn’t rule out a run for president in 2024. At the least, however, he intends to play a role in the future of the party. “I do want to be a part of the discussion about where we go as a party and where we go as a country,” the former chairman of the National Governors Association told Bloomberg TV. “So I’m going to try and continue to be involved and speak up and let people know what I think we should do.” But Hogan, 64, said he plans to stay in Annapolis for now: “I made a commitment to the people of Maryland to serve out my term." Courtesy of Maryland GovPics

Mo Gaba Passes Away

A collective sense of heartbreak was felt among players, fans, and the entire city as the Orioles took the field for their home opener at Camden Yards on July 29. But it wasn’t because the birds would be playing to an empty stadium, or because the start to their season had been delayed due to the effects of the pandemic. It was because, one day prior, the city lost perhaps the most beloved fan in local sports history. Hours before 14-year-old Baltimore sports superfan Mo Gaba lost his lifelong battle with cancer on July 28, it was announced that he had been awarded the Wild Bill Hagy Award and elected into the Orioles Hall of Fame. Since his passing, the city has continued to honor Gaba—a shining light who inspired us all with his infectious smile, gentleness, and positivity—in thoughtful ways. The Ravens filled sections, dubbed “Mo’s Rows,” with cardboard cutouts of Gaba and painted “BaltiMOre” in the endzone at M&T Bank Stadium. And a street near both of the stadiums will soon be dedicated as Mo Gaba Way. All are but small reminders of the massive mark Gaba left on the world. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Orioles

Trohv Shutters its Doors in Hampden

In a year filled with so much loss, the closing of Trohv felt like a pile-on. The beloved shop on The Avenue—always filled with the best gifts, home goods, and cards—was no match for the pandemic and unforgiving rent due. Despite a groundswell of support for the store and its gem of an owner Carmen Brock, Trohv closed its doors in August. A Hampden mainstay for almost 14 years, the shop was the true heart and soul of the community. People came out in droves the last four weeks of business, their sad faces hidden behind masks, telling Brock with tears in their eyes, “this was my favorite shop” or “I had my first kiss here.” It all felt like a bad dream that could have been avoided if small businesses were given a lifeline during an impossible situation. But in true Carmen fashion, she was focused on the sunshine. “It has been the joy of my life to have a small business in Baltimore,” she told us before the closure. “For me, Trohv felt like a laboratory that sort of became a personal love story, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked, hustled, lived, and loved the many creative people in this beautiful town.” Photography by Mike Morgan

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Enters a New Era

One year after picket lines and protest signs were a daily sight at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra finally reached a period of healing—with both the organization’s musicians and management agreeing to their first long-term contract since 2016. It ended years of contentious negotiations, and marked a new chapter for the 104-year-old arts institution. The agreement included gradual pay increases for artists, the restoration of 10 full-time positions over the next five years, and the formation of a task force to address diversity, inclusion, and equity within the organization. To that end, in early September, assistant conductor Jonathan Rush and artistic partner Wordsmith were appointed to the BSO’s artistic team, joining cellist Esther Mellon as the orchestra’s only African-American artists, and serving as advisors on original programming. Amidst these changes, maestra Marin Alsop will also step down from her podium in 2021, leaving behind a legacy as the first female conductor to ever lead a major North American orchestra and the founder of the organization’s vital OrchKids program, which she will continue to oversee as music director laureate. Meanwhile, the LA Opera’s James Conlon will come on as artistic advisor in 2021 while the search for her replacement gets underway. Photo courtesy of the BSO

Maryland State Parks Break Records

There was really only one safe thing to do when quarantine fatigue started: Take to the trails. And Marylanders did, in record numbers. In October, Governor Larry Hogan announced that the Park Service had already recorded 17.1 million visitors, compared to 14.9 million for all of 2019. In July alone, 3.4 million visitors hit places like Sandy Point, Elk Neck, Patapsco Valley, and Gunpowder Falls—almost one million more than the previous July. (That also meant some parks closed on busy weekends after reaching maximum capacity, and others like Calvert Cliffs imposed a residents-only rule.) But there were still plenty of parks to go around, and families, friends, and solo hikers were rewarded with waterfalls, swimming holes, swinging bridges, and changing foliage. Bike sales skyrocketed and camp sites quickly filled up, as folks took to the great outdoors—mask and water bottle in hand. Shutterstock

The BMA Causes a Stir in the Art World

When it was announced that the Baltimore Museum of Art would deaccession works by Andy Warhol, Clyfford Still, and Brice Marden in order to fund a $65-million “Endowment for the Future,” objections came from both within the BMA and far beyond its walls, garnering criticism from the likes of the Los Angeles Times’ Christopher Knight and Pergamon Art Group’s Martin Gammon in addition to letters penned by members of the BMA board. Though the endowment itself would be designated for care of the BMA’s collection, equitable pay for its staff, diversity programs, establishing evening hours, and extending free admission to special exhibitions, concerns were raised over the implications of using the museum’s collection like chips to cash in for funding initiatives beyond the collection. Whether the sale will eventually go through remains in the air. On Oct. 28, the original date of the sale, the BMA announced that it would be paused to allow for “further, necessary conversations” about their intentions, but the museum also reaffirmed its dedication to the Endowment for the Future, saying, “Our vision and our goals have not changed. It will take us longer to achieve them, but we will do so through all means at our disposal.” Photo courtesy of Mike Steele via Flickr Commons

Brandon Scott Wins Mayoral Election

After a tense few days counting mail-in ballots during the Democratic primary for mayor in June, 36-year-old City Council President Brandon Scott rallied and pulled out a close victory over former Mayor Sheila Dixon. In a crowded field with 24 candidates receiving votes, Scott won 29.6 percent of the tally. Dixon claimed 27.5 percent of the ballots cast—a margin of slightly more than 3,000 votes. (Perhaps the most surprising result was that Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young, who had assumed office in the wake of former Mayor Catherine Pugh’s criminal plea, received just 6.2 percent of the vote.) Earlier this month, Scott—the youngest person to become mayor of Baltimore in at least the past century—was officially inaugurated as Baltimore’s 52nd mayor in a small ceremony at City Hall, which was broadcast online. “I am not a savior for our city,” the Park Heights native said afterward. “No one is coming to save us. We have the ability to save ourselves. But we can only do that together.” Photography by Meredith Herzing

Kweisi Mfume Wins Back His Former Seat

After two-plus decades out of elected office—and tenures leading the NAACP and his alma mater Morgan State University—72-year-old Kweisi Mfume’s return to Capitol Hill this year is a remarkable full circle moment. Overcoming a troubled youth, Mfume was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1978. Eight years later, he went to Washington, filling the historic seat previously held by Parren Mitchell. Following the death of Elijah Cummings—who like Mitchell had become not just a Baltimore but national civil rights leader—Mfume returned to his former House seat in May of 2020 after winning a special election. He replicated the victory with another win in November, easily defeating Republican challenger Kimberly Klacik. Mfume has vowed to help those “struggling at this hour to fight off the terrible disease of coronavirus” as well as those struggling to meet their basic economic demands in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. He has pledged to work to improve the city’s public transportation and school infrastructure woes as well as advocate for stricter gun-control measures, including a renewal of the federal assault weapons ban, which he had pushed when he previously held the seat. Shutterstock

Trey Mancini Announces He's Cancer Free

Baseball fans were shocked in mid-April when Trey Mancini, the O’s best and most popular player, announced he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. It was hard to comprehend that someone so young, strong, and dynamic could be that sick. Mancini missed the entire 2020 season and went through several rounds of chemo, all the while being shown enormous love and support from the fans and his teammates, who sported F16HT shirts and handmade F16HT signs in his honor. And Mancini, always one to think of others first, created the F16HT campaign to raise money for colorectal cancer awareness. Then, the news we’d all been waiting for finally came: On November 12, Mancini announced that he was officially cancer-free and that he intends to play in the 2021 season. Orioles fans already rooted hard for Trey—now, if possible, we’ll root even harder. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Orioles

COVID Rocks the Ravens

A Thanksgiving matchup between archrivals the Ravens and the Steelers? It almost seemed too good to be true. And suddenly, it was. The day before the game, it was announced that, due to a COVID outbreak on the team, the game was being moved to Sunday. Little by little, the details emerged: That a (still unnamed) strength and conditioning coach had been sick and infected several members of the team, including running backs Mark Ingram and JK Dobbins. As Steelers players publicly grumbled about the cancelations (because they wanted to…catch COVID?), days went on and more players tested positive or were put on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including star quarterback and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson. Meanwhile, in an unsurprising twist, the Steelers placed three of their own on the reserve/COVID-19 list. (No comment.)

The game was finally played Wednesday at 3:40 pm (the strange time was so as not to preempt the lighting of the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree, scheduled to air that night—oh, how the mighty have fallen). The Ravens played without a dozen key contributors. Robert Griffin III started at QB and second-year backup (and inexplicable TikTok phenomenon) Trace McSorley led a memorable touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. It was actually a gutty effort by the Ravens—they were in it the whole game—but they ultimately fell to their division rivals, 19 to 14. But their COVID saga wasn’t quite over yet. On Tuesday, December 8, the Ravens were scheduled to play the Dallas Cowboys. All eyes were on former Cowboy Dez Bryant, who made it clear how stoked he was for the chance to “make a point” against his old team. And then—you guessed it—shortly before kickoff, it was announced that Bryant had tested positive for COVID and wouldn’t be able to play (he has since tested negative twice). “I’m about to drink some wine and cope,” he tweeted, as excellent a summation of 2020 as we can think of. Photography courtesy of Baltimore Ravens

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Storytelling Shines

What a year to be Ta-Nehisi Coates. In addition to the particularly wise choice to remain off Twitter during an election year, the celebrated author was part of several exciting new projects. Coates guest-edited the September issue of Vanity Fair curating a special edition on race in America that explored art, activism, and power. Then in November, Coates’ Between The World And Me—a letter from father to son about growing up in Baltimore and in a society that enables white supremacy—was adapted as an HBO special. When we heard the news, we were equal parts excited and curious. Would the filmed version have the same power that the National Book Award-winner carried in its pages? The short answer: Yes. Based on the 2018 adaptation and staging at the Apollo Theater, the project brought together a cast of dozens of Black celebrities and luminaries to help tell Coates’ story. Powerful voices and visuals fill just over an hour, and together they form a stunning companion piece to the author’s work. The continuation of Coates’ film projects, an adaptation of his 2019 debut novel, The Water Dancer (which came out in paperback and revived Oprah’s Book Club this year), produced by Winfrey and Brad Pitt is also coming down the pipeline. We can’t wait. Courtesy of HBO

John Waters Secures Appropriately Filthy Legacy

Someday, the powers that be will see fit to take John Waters from us. And while we hope that time is still a long, long way away, it is nice to know that when it happens, we will be able to mourn appropriately: from the bathrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The auteur of filth announced this year that, upon his death, his collection of around 375 paintings, prints, and photographs—including works by such prolific artists as Andy Warhol and Betsy the Chip—will go to the BMA. In addition, his name will be added to two equally important museum spaces, “The John Waters Rotunda” in the European art galleries and “The John Waters Restrooms” in the East Lobby. Photography by Marnie Hertzler

Marylanders Mourn Lives Lost

Five-thousand, two-hundred and seventy—that’s the number of Marylanders who have died (at press time) from COVID-19. Not that any one life can be reduced to a number. Every number represents a person. A mother, a sister, an aunt, an uncle, a cousin, a niece, a nephew, a husband, a wife. There was Windsor Mill’s DJ “Sugar” Chris Tittle, who spread his love for old-school classic R&B and house music; Evelyn Caro, 69, who became a registered nurse at the age of 50; Mary Wilson, 83, the first African-American woman to serve as a senior zookeeper at what is now the Maryland Zoo. India Jaimala “Mala” Singh, 65, a Lutherville resident who designed tapestries and saris back in her native India and went on to become one of the top designers for Calico, a design store chain. Chianti Jackson Harpool, 51, a political fundraiser who owned a marketing and public relations firm. Eastern Stewart Junior, 71, a longtime house manager at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts. And Joseph Costa, 56, Chief of the Division of Critical Care at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, who succumbed after dedicating his career to caring for the sickest patients and continued to work on the front lines as the virus proliferated. All of you—as well as the thousands not named here—will be greatly missed. Photography courtesy of Mercy Medical Center

Source

Holiday Gift Guide

Aaron Hope — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:00:08 +0000

⇓ Article continues below ⇓

By Janelle Erlichman Diamond with Ashley Glenn & Hannah Fields
Photography by Christopher Myers | Lettering & Illustrations by Hayley Barry

Style & Shopping

Great ideas for everyone on your list!

By Janelle Erlichman Diamond with Ashley Glenn & Hannah Fields
Photography by Christopher Myers
Lettering & Illustrations by Hayley Barry

FOR NURSES, BABYSITTERS, TEACHERS, FRIENDS

Tee shirt by Mess in a Bottle ($26.95)

Blue heron felt portrait by Felt Up Girl ($70)

Therapeutic hot/cold wraps by Cherapy ($30) at Found Studio Shop

“Say Hi” correspondence set ($24) at Almanac Industries

Headband by Gemelli ($23) at South Moon Under

Welcome mat ($50) at B.Moore Creations

Bloom Society monthly bouquet by Floral Fêtes (prices vary) at Floral Fêtes

Hon’s Honey pure 100% candles ($14-$22 each) at Gundalow Gourmet

Cream and sugar set by Creative Co-Op ($38) at Walther Gardens

RBG socks by Maggie Stern Stitches ($18) at Matava Shoes

Color wash safety razor by Imperium Shaving (from $25.99)

Paint by Numbers DIY kit ($45) by Forest Culture Design

Stronger Together coffee mug ($14) at Poppy & Stella

Ice cream pint delivery by Cream Cruiser (from $28) at Baltimore in a Box

⇓ Article continues below ⇓

FOR MIND, BODY, & SOUL

The Book of Delights ($23.95) at The Ivy Bookshop

Always Play Nice (Please) playing cards by Calhoun & Co. ($14) at Homebody General Store

Migraine mask by Slow North ($34) at Ruxton Mercantile

Facial roller by kit.sch ($18) at Poppy & Stella

Crescent necklace ($80) at Eaarthbones Jewelry

Solitude Room + Linen Mist ($15) and SoBo Essential ($14) at SoBotanical

Kokedama moss ball with plant ($20) at B.Willow

Bath salts by Benjamin Soap Co. ($16) at Ruxton Mercantile

Fireside Fig and Smoked Chai teas ($20/tin) at Wight Tea Company

Elderberry Oxymel drops by Hey Thanks! Herbal Co.

Alpine for You ($7 each) at Mount Royal Soap Company

Terrazzo incense holder ($32) and No Problemo cones ($24) by Pretti.Cool at Tortuga

⇓ Article continues below ⇓

FOR THE PEOPLE YOU ARE STUCK WITH

Big Truss knit hat by This Sporting Life ($30) at Double Dutch Boutique

Family Time: 50 Conversation Starters card game by After Dinner Amusements ($8.95) at Found Studio Shop

Woven basket by KAZI ($138) at Ruxton Mercantile

Canton and Fells Point map pillow by Daisy Mae Designs ($40) at Best Day Ever

Portable movie projector by Vankyo ($99.99)

Chillsner beer chiller by Corkcicle ($30) at Becket Hitch

Life Before Social Media puzzle by Galison ($16.99) at Found Studio Shop

Dog toy by Pet Safe ($7.99) at Loyal Companion

Pop! microwave popcorn lid by Talisman Designs ($13) at Becket Hitch

Mochi off-white plush slippers by Dolce Vita ($60) at Mint + Major

Sweatpants by Creative King ($45) at Double Dutch Boutique

No. 17 East African Amber Candle ($24) at KSM Candle Co.

⇓ Article continues below ⇓

FOR BABIES TO TEENS AND EVERYONE IN-BETWEEN

Jackson button-up baby onesie by Nollie Pop Baby Boutique ($36)

Shake It Like a Polaroid baby teether by Bella Tuno ($12) at Best Day Ever

Ombre leopard print jacket by Splendid ($76) at Wee Chic

D.I.Y. embroidered doll kit by Kiriki Press ($18.99 each) at Domesticity

Heart plushy socks by Z Supply ($16) at Brightside Boutique

Crab stickers by Charm City Crabs ($5 each)

Digital pet by Tamagotchi ($28) at Wee Chic

Curious Jane Book ($16.95) at Wee Chic

Kids Robot Pet Shop Game ($29.99) at aMuse

Bubble gum scented soft serve pillow by iscream ($32) at Wee Chic

Illuminated construction blocks by Light Stax ($29.99) at Shananigans Toy Shop

Space Oddity voice recorder box by Brand New Noise ($80) at Tortuga

Selection of books by Elizabeth Acevedo ($12.99-$18.99 each) at Greedy Reads

⇓ Article continues below ⇓

FOR OUR FAVORITE ROOM IN THE HOUSE

Cookish: Throw It Together by Milk Street ($35) at Atomic Books

Salted chocolate chip cookies ($12 for six) at Gundalow Gourmet

Royal Red Shrimp cat snacks by Pierless Pet Treats ($7.99) at Howl

“Alive” 100% extra virgin olive oil by Brightland ($38) Gundalow Gourmet

Coasters by Pineapple West Co. ($20) at Taken

Old Bay Hot Sauce ($9) at Baltimore in a Box

Maryland cocktail napkins ($30) at Gundalow Gourmet

Pepper mill by Hay Sowden ($50) at Good Neighbor

Handmade wood cutting board by Words with Boards ($145)

Soft Pretzel & Beer Cheese kit by Farm Steady ($35) at Becket Hitch

Flamingo ceramic plate by Turning True Studios ($75)

Spices by SpiceWalla ($10 each) at Good Neighbor

Cocktail cherries by Fabri Amarena ($6.99 for 4.25oz) at Kenilworth Wine & Spirits

Gingerbread Spiced Stout ($24.99) at Guinness Open Gate Brewery

Customizable spice rack by McCormick ($89.99 for 18 spices plus rack)

⇓ Article continues below ⇓

Source

Interior Design Trends That Will Rule 2020 and Beyond

Lauren Cohen — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:27:00 +0000

You Do You

Mona Hajj, Mona Hajj Interiors

“We’ll see interiors with a more natural, effortless look that are beautiful and relate to the client, whether it is a well-traveled global interior or a simple lived-in interior. Less interesting are the staged and stylized interiors. They are more picture-pretty than livable.”

Plaster and Marble Sculptures

Katie Destefano, Katie Destefano Design & Owner of Curiosity…Intriguing Objects for the Home.

“Plaster and marble busts have been making a big comeback, as they add a lot of dimension and expression to a vignette. Try putting one in an unexpected place like your bathroom or closet to hold some of your accessories. If a bust still seems like too much, try a torso, hand, or even foot.”

Interior Greenery

Stephanie Bradshaw, Stephanie Bradshaw

“Plants, plants, and more plants. And bringing the outside in, not just with greenery, but natureinspired hues and warmer tones.”

Groovy Designs

Darra Sargent, Dear Darling Design Studio

“This year, we are moving away from all of the mid-century-inspired decor and moving on to a new decade—the ’70s. Think lots of oranges, yellows, and teals; macramé, rattan, velvet, terrazzo, fringe, and shag. All forms of design have been featuring ’70s-style shapes (half circles, half ovals, scalloped edges) and ’70s-inspired fonts. I think this year is going to be all about that hippie style, with a big focus on sustainability.”

Intermingling

Carmen Brock, Trohv

“Sustainable products are thankfully ever-present. It’s shifting away from being a trend and more toward a way of living long-term. This all seems to be co-mingling in a backdrop of minimalism, inspired by the declutter movement, a trend that I hope continues.”

The True Meaning of Home

Patrick Sutton, Patrick Sutton

“We have seen a strong shift toward decluttered, modern interiors filled with meaningful art and art objects—rooms that are fresh and forward-thinking while still warm and comfortable. People seem to be moving toward simplicity, quality, and a desire to make each moment of their lives memorable. And they look for their homes to reflect that desire.”

Marco Ricca

Greener Kitchens

Laura Hodges, Laura Hodges Studio

Sustainability in kitchen design is coming in strong for 2020. “We love Grohe’s new smart faucet that integrates filtered water, sparkling water, and tap water all into one faucet, eliminating the need for all kinds of plastic water bottles.”

Liveable Space

Kerry Leikus, Kerry Leikus Designs

“All white walls are out. It shouldn’t take most homeowners very long to see the obvious reasons why the white trend is less than desirable. Maintaining the pristine quality and allure of the all-white look can be difficult, especially if people intend to live in the space.”

Boho Out The Door

Quintece Hill-Mattauszek, Studio Q Designs

“We are going to start to see less and less of the free and flowy trend of the bohemian and Jungalow styles. Patterns such as Shibori, boho fringe, and woven rattans will step to the side to make way for a more tailored approach with a resurgence of upscaled vintage and retro pieces. Forget the throwaway pieces and look for the character and charm that can be modernized to fit your lifestyle.”

Colored Ceilings

Julie Lilienfeld, Athena Hoffberger, and Ryan Haase of Wishbone Reserve

“Painted ceilings are where it’s at. They make the room feel cozier and can hide a number of unsightly structural elements. Don’t be shy with your color choices. There’s lots of bright pops of color: magenta, cobalt blue, emerald green, sunshine yellow, and acid orange.”

Jewel Tones

Raina Smallwood, Cedar & Cotton

“What’s winning in 2020: deep, bold colors, specifically jewel tones. Hunter greens, deep teals, velvety plums, and even black are everywhere, and not just on our walls, but on house exteriors, kitchen cabinets, and sofas. Our homes feel more personal and lived-in, and that’s definitely a win.”

Source

Food and Drink Trends to Expect at Baltimore Eateries in 2020

Kate Rowe — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 12:48:00 +0000

We’re almost one month into 2020 and it already feels lighter and brighter. Of course, we all still have our rainy days, but it seems the collective energy is elevated. It helps that there seems to be a spotlight on bringing “wellness” to all areas of life, including our homes, work, workouts, and our plates. Locally, shops and restaurants are starting the year out strong by tapping into these philosophies. Here, we break down four food and drink trends to look out for in 2020 and where to make the most of them around town.

Eco-Friendly Foods

As more information becomes available, restauranteurs and consumers alike are looking for more environmentally-friendly ways to enjoy their favorite things.

“We want people to feel curious about how to eat more sustainably, not intimidated,” says Helena del Pesco, owner of eco-conscious eatery Larder in Old Goucher. “It can feel hard to change habits, even when we know it’s the right thing to do.”

Recently, Baltimore City has made efforts by banning styrofoam and plastic-bags at retail locations, but the team at Larder is taking it a step further by working with the collectors at Compost Cab to keep their operation almost completely compostable. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, generating the emissions of more than 37 million passenger vehicles.

Larder’s kitchen scraps, to-go containers, napkins, and utensils are composted at Real Food Farm and processed into soil that can be used to fertilize community gardens and parks.

“Yes it’s an added expense, but ultimately it benefits all of us as opposed to creating a burden for future generations,” Del Pesco says. “I grew up learning the three r’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycling has proven to be problematic…but composting, if done right, can actually turn our waste into a resource.”

Climate conscious locations across the area are also including more local, seasonal ingredients to cut down on the carbon emissions that come with food transport. Cunningham’s in Towson (whose restaurant is currently under renovation, but downstairs cafe is open for business), cuts out the middle man by sourcing most of its produce and meats from its own farm, located just minutes down the road in Cockeysville. With traditional, sustainable farming methods and organic feed, Cunningham’s farmers work to cultivate items that lessen the restaurant’s carbon footprint.

Seafood fans also know sister spots True Chesapeake Oyster Co. and The Local Oyster as other examples of regional sourcing. The True Chesapeake oyster farm, located in St. Jerome Creek in Southern Maryland, provides not only delicious, meaty mollusks, but a critical habitat for the surrounding ecosystem. Plus, they help clean up the Bay. According to the National Aquarium, a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water in one day.

Mighty Mocktails

We noted the rise of non-alcoholic cocktails last year, and 2020 is proving to be even more accessible to the sober-curious: “We have certainly seen an increase in guest requests for interesting mocktails,” says Rye Street Tavern beverage manager Scott Kollig. “We have a growing collection of recipes behind the bar that our team has created in the moment.”

With mocktails, diners can enjoy all the things that come with social outings without the added baggage. This includes wellness effects across the board—from immediate issues like weight gain, loss of sleep, and hangover pains to long-term health problems like risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and alcoholism. Hotel Revival just launched a “Zero Proof and Zero Judgement” menu to create a safe, fun space where guests can enjoy themselves, regardless of their drinking preference. A study published in 2018 shared modest health benefits that a group of adults experienced when they stopped drinking, even for just one month.

And it’s not just your traditional Shirley Temples and fancy lemonades. Bartenders are stepping up their game, creating decadent, inspired creations. La Food Marketa has more than eight slushies and mocktails that incorporate ingredients such as blood orange, acai, dulce creama, and muddled basil. Woodbery Kitchen uses watermelon honey, lemon balm verjus, hibiscus tea, and egg whites.

“We have a few ‘pocket’ mocktails that we utilize as good go-to drinks, but we often simply ask guests what flavors they enjoy or don’t enjoy and will build something bespoke for them,” Kollig adds. “We have various syrups that are non-alcoholic that we can use to elevate the typical citrus flavors, but by far the biggest advantage we have is using Fee Brothers Bitters. Most bitters are alcohol-based, but Fee Brothers are glycerol-based in flavors like plum, cherry, black walnut, and even celery.” Check out a few of our favorite recent mocktails here.

Functional Beverages

After the passage of the farm bill that legalized hemp across the country, we’ve seen CBD start popping up everywhere. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound extracted from hemp plants. It provides relaxing and sedative effects and it is commonly used to address a variety of symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, inflammation, chronic pain, and depression.

According to the World Health Organization, CBD exhibits “no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential.” In Hampden, Artifact Coffee and Vent Coffee Roasters have CBD on their menus as an add-on for hot and cold beverages.

Although you may be hearing more about CBD, it’s not the only drink infusion making a splash on Baltimore menus. At Plantbar’s locations in Brewer’s Hill and Towson, they’ve added collagen to their lengthy list of wellness add-ons that also includes chlorella, oregano oil, turmeric, and spirulina.

“Collagen is a major building block of skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments,” says Plantbar owner Daniela Troia. “We use it in our upgraded coffees—basically a kicked up bulletproof coffee—and it can be added to smoothies.”

A recent report shows that collagen supplements can increase skin elasticity and hydration. It can also help support joint and bone health, protect lean muscle, and build healthier hair and nails.

If you need an energy boost, Baltimore-based brewery Wild Kombucha has expanded on their offerings to include Icaro Yerba Maté blends. While kombucha has been adding natural probiotics to diets in recent years, the yerba maté extract blended into these new organic green tea beverages is a popular caffeine pick-me-up traditionally used in South America.

Plants, Plants, and More Plants

Plant-based items were also a top highlight in 2019 and continue with increased intensity. Vegetarian and vegan options are flooding the city and new blends are helping flexitarians take steps toward more plants, without making the full switch.

With this in mind, many Baltimore locations are expanding their veggie options, but keeping some of the meatier flavors and textures. At the newly opened Annoula’s Kitchen inside Cross Street Market, diners can grab an open-faced Chickpea Melt on sourdough. North Avenue Market provides meat-like flavors without meat in their rotating specials, like the current Broccoli over Mushroom Duxelle. At Snake Hill in Canton, you can taste a variety of homemade sausages, including three non-meat options like the Smoked Apple Sage made with golden potatoes, as well as an Italian made with eggplant and fennel.

Baltimore is on-trend with leading chefs across the country who are looking to add healthier, planet-friendly options like these. The James Beard Foundation has even created The Blended Burger Project, a movement that encourages chefs to blend at least 25 percent mushrooms into burgers. Tying back to sustainability, this switch could reduce agricultural production-related greenhouse gas emissions and irrigation water demand. Plus, it could reduce global agricultural land demand by more than 14,000 square miles, an area larger than our state of Maryland.

Source

Where to Eat During Baltimore Restaurant Week Based On Your Mood

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 15:19:00 +0000

So you’ve decided that you’re going to take advantage of Baltimore Restaurant Week—the city’s annual dining-out event that offers prix-fixe menus ranging from $25-45 from January 10-19. But soon after comes the inevitable question: “Where should we go?”

With so many options to choose from, we’ve found it’s easiest to start your search based on what you’re in the mood to eat. Whether you’ve been craving a colossal crab cake, oven-fired pizza, or a winter vegetable dish, the restaurant scene has plenty to offer. Here, we break down eats to consider based on what sounds good to you.

Ahi tuna: Bookmakers Cocktail Club

Federal Hill’s cozy cocktail club is offering a three-course menu that highlights a dish of seared Yuzu Kosho tuna accompanied by rice, Szechuan green beans, and wasabi cream. Round out the meal with a requisite drink, like the gin-based “Sweater Weather” or the “Over-Under” made with Bookmakers’ single-barrel Elijah Craig bourbon.

Bibimbap: Jazz + Soju

Restaurant Week is a great excuse to get to this Korean restaurant and live music venue in Locust Point if you haven’t already. In addition to spicy edamame and a Bulgogi burger, the special menu includes Bibimbap—the Korean delicacy that tops rice with fried egg, mixed veggies, and spicy gochujang sauce. Diners can customize the bowl with beef, chicken, or tofu.

Blondie: The Food Market

Known for its upscale spins on classic comfort foods, this hotspot on the Avenue in Hampden always goes all out for Restaurant Week. After savoring cornmeal-crusted pork schnitzel and “unstuffed” shells with lobster and shrimp, end on a sweet note with the restaurant’s “Half-Baked Blondie”—which arrives topped with torched marshmallow and vanilla ice cream.

Bread pudding: Wicked Sisters

Sweet tooth fiends should look no further than this Hampden hangout, which will be serving a bread pudding with almond clusters, caramelized bananas, and bourbon crème anglaise as one of its dessert choices. After the polenta fries and sous vide country short ribs, be sure to save room.

Burger: Blue Hill Tavern
Sometimes it’s best to go back to basics with a classic burger. Blue Hill’s version stacks a Wagyu beef patty between a brioche bun with cheddar cheese, fried onions, bacon, and spiced ketchup. The Canton mainstay will also highlight tavern favorites including loaded baked potato soup and wild mushroom pasta.

Ceviche: Alma Cocina Latina

Start your Venezuelan dining adventure off with the Asian-Latin ceviche at this Canton favorite. The appetizer combines octopus, shrimp, yellow corn, sweet potato puree, and spicy lychee-miso leche de tigre (tiger’s milk) that’s meant to be savored atop spicy tortilla chips. Alma’s special spread also features roasted duck and crispy polenta with confit beets and grilled fennel.

Chicken parmesan: GDL Italian by Giada

Leave it to Giada de Laurentiis to warm our souls with Boot Country classics. The celebrity chef’s local outpost inside Horseshoe Casino will offer a chicken parm over spaghetti with mozzarella, arugula, shaved fennel, and crispy bread crumbs. For a more localized version of her family recipes, try the crab arancini with Old Bay aioli.

Coq au vin: Le Bistro du Village

Take your tastebuds on a trip to Paris at this Mt. Washington haunt. The restaurant’s coq au vin is the perfect winter warmer, flavored with red wine sauce and served alongside a helping of mashed potatoes. For even more French flair, save room for the mousse au chocolat.

Crab cakes: Annabel Lee Tavern
The crab cakes at this Edgar Allan Poe-themed corner bar in Canton are a must-try—along with the duck-fat fries and honey-drizzled Brussels sprouts, of course. Order a platter of two served alongside sautéed kale and mashed potatoes.

Cream of crab soup: Charmed Kitchen

Speaking of crab, if you like your lump meat to come in the form of soup, enjoy this creamy iteration at Charmed Kitchen in Butcher’s Hill. Customize your second course with dishes including linguini and clams, lasagna, and Norwegian salmon with roasted potatoes.

Filet mignon: The Prime Rib

What would a meal at this decades-old Mt. Vernon steakhouse be without a fresh cut of meat? Follow the leopard-printed carpet to your table and dig into filet mignon or a special cut of prime rib served with all the fixins’, including creamed spinach and mashed potatoes.

French toast: Gunther & Co.

Don’t forget that, in addition to lunch and dinner, many restaurants are offering two-course brunch menus as part of Restaurant Week. At Gunther & Co., enjoy the lemon ricotta doughnuts and cheesy grits before getting into the house-made brioche French toast. The thick hunks of grilled bread are topped with sautéed bananas, spiced rum-maple syrup, brown sugar, and orange butter.

Maryland Rockfish: Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen
Experience chef/owner John Shields’ dedication to Chesapeake cuisine at this 20-year-old gem inside the Baltimore Museum of Art. The rockfish filet wrapped housemade bacon is served alongside rainbow chard and celery root and potato puree—made with produce that Shields gathers himself weekly at the 32nd Street Farmers’ Market.

Mac and cheese: Sobo Cafe

As far as nostalgic meals go, mac and cheese is about as comforting as it gets. Embrace your inner child with the version at this Federal Hill standby, which tops its noodles with cheddar, chopped tomatoes, and toasted bread crumbs. Other fare to look out for includes veggie burgers, chicken pot pie, and spinach pie with crispy phyllo.

Oyster stew: True Chesapeake Oyster Co.

Retreat from the winter winds at this newbie inside Hampden’s Whitehall Mill. Chef Zack Mills presents his soul-satisfying oyster stew with bacon, potatoes, and tarragon. Course two highlights seared rockfish or roasted squash with chive cream.

Pizza: Verde

Settle in with a glass of wine and a plate of burrata before digging into the wood-fired pies at this Canton pizzeria. From pistachio pesto and truffle cream to caramelized onions and zucchini, there are tons of options to choose from. Order a few for the table to mix and match.

Salad: Noona’s

This Bolton Hill restaurant might be known for its pizza and pastas, but it also offers some enticing greens to pair with all of the carbs. The first-course menu offers a fall salad mixed with walnuts, plum jam, sage, and a caramelized apple vinaigrette. If you’re more of a purist, go for the caesar with pecorino and herbed bread crumbs.

Salmon: The Tilted Row
One of the hottest openings of the year, this Bolton Hill restaurant offers global dishes and a sizable bourbon collection. Among chef Andy Thomas’ creations on the special menu is a fig-glazed salmon with wild mushrooms, tomatoes, and a crispy polenta cake.

Spaghetti: Cinghiale
Treat yourself to a trip to Italy by way of Harbor East at this veteran osteria. The squid ink spaghetti with calamari, shrimp, mussels, lemon, fresno chili, and oregano is a surefire bet to quell seafood cravings. Other featured entrees will include a ricotta cavatelli, pan-roasted Icelandic cod, and braised veal with broccoli rabe.

Tacos: The Urban Oyster
If you’re really looking to get more bang for your buck, this Locust Point seafood spot is offering a two-course lunch deal for $20. Among the choices are oyster or shrimp tacos with honey-cilantro slaw in warm flour tortillas. On the $35 dinner menu, chef Jasmine Norton is highlighting surf and turf tacos filled with grilled shrimp, steak, pico de gallo, and chipotle aioli.

Source

Did Not Compute

Angeline Leong — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Amidst the mania and confusion that surrounded the night the date changed from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000, Tom Zahorik was quite certain what he wanted to do.

He and his girlfriend, Val Newcomb, were living together in Roland Park at the time. Toward the tail end of the two-and-a-half years they’d been dating, Newcomb says she began to tap her fingers on the counter, wondering when Zahorik would propose.

He knew that he wanted to do so around a big event. So, at Thanksgiving, he conferred with family members to talk strategy. When he brought up the prospect of proposing on New Year’s Eve, he was met with a healthy dose of skepticism: Wasn’t there a chance that, when computer dates across the globe changed from 99 to 00, chaos would ensue?

“I was definitely concerned,” Zahorik says. “What was being kicked around wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.”

But he went on, undeterred. As the family gathered for New Year’s in Newcomb’s sister’s home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which was stocked with plenty of wine and beer and food just in case—like “preparing for a snowstorm,” Newcomb says—and with Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve as the soundtrack, Zahorik got down on one knee and popped the question.

“I remember being on the steps,” Zahorik says. “I was watching the TV out of the corner of my eye, because if there was going to be a blackout, it was going to be there.”

Newcomb said yes, and amidst the excitement of getting engaged, she and Tom looked around to make sure everyone and everything was alright. It’s not every day that the end of days is prophesized on as grand a scale as it was in the months leading up to New Year’s Eve 1999. Twenty years later, one of the 20th century’s most infamous events is also perhaps its most inconsequential.

Or, as the newly engaged Zahorik, who admits he was quite certain that the end was nigh, remembers thinking at the time: “I’m glad the world didn’t end.”

The Y2K problem arose out of a lack of forward thinking. For decades, to save space and characters in code, computer programmers entered two digits into systems to indicate the year. After all, for whatever year they were operating in—and for the many, many to follow—that’s all that was needed.

“Shortcuts were taken in system design which were not quite appropriate,” says University of Maryland computer science professor Ashok Agrawala. But around 1997, it dawned on those who were on the front lines that there was a potential problem. “People were concerned as to how computer systems would react to the digits turning over,” he says.

Effectively, there are a number of basic computer functions that had long been coded around the date at the time. So, the thought was, if there was a date entered that a computer couldn’t identify, it would cause a breakdown across airlines, communication tools, power grids, and myriad other resources.

“I can’t quite compare it to any other kind of thing,” Agrawala says. “This was effectively a global phenomenon.”

It was also one that had to be dealt with on a local level. In the days, months, and years leading up to Y2K, numerous steps were taken in Maryland to prepare for an unknown. A Y2K Ad Hoc Committee was formed at Johns Hopkins University to formulate a strategy surrounding how to best prepare for what lay ahead.

“We discussed the power grid a lot,” says Stephanie Reel, a member of the committee and the current Chief Information Officer for Johns Hopkins University and Health System. “There would be no ability to manage power if there were outages. A lot of planning went into it, and there was a lot of anxiety. It was such a far-reaching problem with a pretty fixed deadline and not any ability for flexibility.”

Reel says that the abstract side of the problem—discerning and cataloguing exactly what within Hopkins’ systems might be affected—was a necessary process that, while rewarding, required a comprehensive effort. It allowed for an audit of different networks in a way that they might not otherwise have done. To them, Y2K was like a light switch, that, once turned on, would reveal just how solid (or vulnerable) their systems actually were.

Essentially, what those at Johns Hopkins—and across city, state, and national governments—were doing was playing the world’s worst waiting game. Either catastrophe would strike at midnight, or it wouldn’t.

At Graul’s Market’s Ruxton location, co-owner Kate Poffenberger made sure that the store had a surplus of batteries and water to sell to customers. They also had extra change on hand—in case banks failed and were unable to process the checks that customers often paid with at that time. Concern about registers working was abated, too, with computerized systems checked and set to adjust accordingly.

In a December 1999 Baltimore Sun editorial entitled “Don’t Panic Over Y2K! Just Do This,” writer Mike Himowitz suggested readers “do the same thing you’d do in case of a blizzard, ice storm, or hurricane. Have plenty of flashlights and batteries available, along with a battery-powered radio or TV.” In the event of a power outage and eventual heat failure, he advised to “make arrangements with a friend or relative in another part of town who can give you a place to stay for a night or two if necessary.”

It’s easy to look back on this quaint advice and color it ripe for parody. But these words of wisdom were not isolated instances, and, though more often than not, cooler minds prevailed, the fear that existed was real, widespread, and not easily discounted.

“The unknown factored into [the sense of unrest] quite a lot,” Agrawala says.

On New Year’s Eve 1999, in what can only be described as lousy luck, then Governor Parris Glendening found himself juggling two crises. In the Pocomoke River, a Pfiesteria piscicida outbreak had been plaguing the area. There were reported fish deaths and health complaints related to fish consumption, and the government was scrambling to contain the problem. Though the problem was concentrated to the Pocomoke River, that didn’t stop people from worrying, and Glendening found himself doing his best to quell concerns.

“That and Y2K were somewhat similar,” Glendening recalls. “But with Y2K, we had years to prepare. I absolutely understand why a number of people were concerned and why there was some degree of near-hysteria at the time. My job as governor in both cases was to calmly and firmly bring people’s attention to what was going on, what the potential for disaster was, and reassure them.”

Though the outbreak predated Y2K, there was still enough popular concern that Glendening spent most of December 31, 1999 visiting crabhouses and seafood restaurants in an attempt to illustrate that Maryland seafood was safe. “That’s what I was doing up until midnight,” he says.

Throughout Baltimore, those in positions of power were preparing for what they hoped would not be a historic night. Mary Beth Marsden, formerly a longtime anchor at WMAR, was on the air on New Year’s Eve 1999. In any other year, senior employees could’ve been off, but on this night, the station was fully staffed in the event that something out of the ordinary happened. They knew that they could be affected, too. “I was concerned about how we would respond to potential chaos,” Marsden remembers. “In the news business, you don’t want to freak people out. At the same time, you can’t ignore it. As reporters, we were on the front lines. Those stories were the reason we were on the air—times like Y2K are where you feel like maybe you’re doing some good.”

Marsden recalls keeping her eye on news reports from Australia and other parts of the world where midnight had come and gone without any issues. It helped assuage concerns, she says.

Elsewhere on the broadcast front, Vic Carter, who has been at WJZ for 30 years, remembers anchoring a New Year’s Eve show from the Inner Harbor. While he and those at the station had a healthy amount of skepticism toward Y2K, Carter was prepared for anything as he broadcast from the roof of the Maryland Science Center.

“I’m not sure we had a huge backup plan in the event something happened,” Carter says. “Doing what I do for a living, it’s like getting into a ride at the carnival or on a roller coaster. You get in and buckle up and go along for the ride. Whatever happens, happens. Y2K was a fun thing to think about, but it didn’t happen.”

Meanwhile at Johns Hopkins, Reel remembers gathering with senior officials in a conference room at the hospital campus. There was a palpable energy in the air, as those who had been principally involved in preparation for the event waited to see what would happen. At the stroke of midnight, a brief moment of panic set in, as one of Reel’s colleagues with a dark sense of humor turned off the lights in the conference room.

“Nobody breathed for a minute,” Reel says. “It was comic relief—we needed it. We sat in that room with computers hooked up to go into every system to make sure it was running. It was a very odd feeling when things went fine—almost like an adrenaline withdrawal.”

Twenty years later, Y2K isn’t much more than a blip on the radar of those who lived through it. For all the hysteria, stocking of groceries, and apocalyptic discourse, it amounted to a whole lot of nothing. There were small glitches, but nothing came close to what was foretold.

Whether that was a result of years of planning or simply something wildly overblown is debatable. But for all the news coverage, preemptive measures, and promise that New Year’s Eve 1999 brought, the fact remains that what was once going to be a seminal moment in human history simply wasn’t. Though, in Tom Zahorik’s case, it was a seminal moment, one that brought with it a sense of relief, eventual marital bliss, and, he admits with a laugh, a pretty nifty mnemonic device.

“It makes it easier to count my anniversary.”

Source

Kamala Harris Campaign Staffers Adjust to Life in Baltimore

Evan Greenberg — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:09:00 +0000

Ammar Moussa is very particular about his haircuts. He’s had the same barber for the past two- and-a-half years in Washington, D.C., working at the Democratic Governors Association and, prior to that, for Congressman John Conyers Jr.

But the Kamala Harris campaign for president is headquartered in downtown Baltimore, and Moussa’s new job as a press aide for the campaign meant a move to Charm City and, yes, a new barber. He’s tried a couple different shops since moving two months ago, and, exasperated, he turned to Keenen Geter for help. Geter, the resident Baltimore local working on the campaign’s national advance desk—he grew up in Park Heights and has lived in the city his whole life—turned Moussa on to a Dominican barbershop in West Baltimore. He can now finally rest easy. “I’m very pleased with my experience,” he says.

This type of minutiae is universal for anyone adjusting to a new place. But the transient nature of politics, where a staffer’s new home is picked for them, presents a unique set of circumstances. There is no easing into the high stakes world of a presidential campaign; every move and decision is vital, especially in a race as contested as the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Politics so often is focused on winners and losers and punditry that it’s sometimes easy to forget that those on the ground working every day are people who need places to live and eat and grocery shop.

By all accounts, Baltimore has provided the people working to elect Senator Kamala Harris the president of the United States just that, giving those with little exposure to the city a new appreciation for all it has to offer. “It shines a bright light on Baltimore,” Geter says.

Mike Nellis, 31, works for the Harris campaign as the digital campaign director. He lives in Fells Point with his wife and newborn son, Theodore, who can now call Baltimore his hometown, since he was born in April. As Nellis heads up a team, he makes a point to make sure others who come aboard feel welcome, taking them out to happy hours and exploring Baltimore. “I always want to find local places because, to me, that’s what’s most interesting about living in a new city,” Nellis says.

That’s a common sentiment among staffers, who are eager to get to know the city they hope will be their home for the next year and a half. Missayr Boker, a national political director for the campaign, loves going to Nalley Fresh for a quick salad lunch, and counts Rye Street Tavern among her favorite Baltimore restaurants. Before the campaign moved into its new downtown office, Mother’s in Federal Hill was a staff favorite, too.

Boker, who moved to the city in May, says that the staggered nature of exactly when staffers started their posts in Baltimore has been an advantage, as newcomers can turn to those who have been around a bit longer for advice on getting settled and places to go. “We’ve all sequenced our arrivals in Baltimore, and so I think the good thing about having people get here before you is that there are a lot of recommendations for where to live,” Boker says. “Each area or building provides something a little bit different from people you trust on what might work best for you. I really leaned on my colleagues who have gotten to Baltimore ahead of me to help me find a place that made sense for me and my lifestyle.”

Seeing as a vast majority of staffers are not from the area, establishing a sense of comfort is a top priority. Many have turned to Geter for advice on places to live—he says one colleague peppered him with questions about Mt. Vernon, where he lived as a student at the University of Baltimore. Nellis was able to find a house that had an extra room for a nursery, and has been to several Orioles games as a way of getting to know the city.

Boker lived in D.C. prior to joining the campaign, and appreciates that she can now walk to work in lieu of her previous 35-minute commute to Capitol Hill. Staffers also cited Baltimore’s relative affordability as a perk, compared to their previous homes of D.C. and Los Angeles. “These campaigns are really taxing,” Boker says. “It’s a slog. I think being able to spend your time doing the things outside of work that make you happy, whether it’s working out or make yourself dinner, is something that I have internalized and really adds to me feeling good about things.”

Those who work the long hours day in and day out on the Harris campaign have elected to do so in service of a person and a movement they believe in wholeheartedly. These are people who see their colleagues as much, if not more than, their own families. That kind of community is something not a lot of workplaces have, and as they’ve discovered, Baltimore is an ideal place for fostering this sense of community and, if all goes as planned, moving their operations a short drive down 95.

“[Baltimore] was definitely chosen for us,” Boker says. “But I think one of the things that’s really cool about being in Baltimore is that it feels consistent with the spirit of this campaign, which is For the People. Now that we’re all here, we really get a sense of the culture and the ethos of our campaign really being represented by the city that we chose to have our headquarters in.”

Source