Anthony Brown – Baltimore Magazine

Overheard at Valley View Farms, City Hall, and WTMD

Jess Mayhugh — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 08:30:00 +0000

Time of the Season

November 1, 2014
Cockeysville

On a damp Saturday, the morning after Halloween, two-dozen hearty folks and curious kids squeeze inside the warmth of Valley View Farms’s garden center for the annual fall harvest “Great Pumpkin Seed Count.” For weeks, a couple thousand visitors have sized up their biggest pumpkin ever, a 1,725-pounder named “Gourdzilla,” writing down guesses at the number of seeds in the behemoth. At stake: a first place $300 gift certificate to Valley View, which, with its exotic squashes—plus other vegetables, herbs, trees, shrubs, and perennials—has become something of a holiday destination.

Delivered by truck from “up the river” and the size of a small car, the pumpkin’s walls are roughly a foot thick. In northern states, similar gargantuan gourds are carved into canoes for fall boat races.

Valley View’s seed count goes back 25 years now, beginning with a relatively smallish 755-pounder. “Breeding,” says retail greenhouse manager Carrie Engel, explaining the explosion in Sumo-like squash. “People ask, but we’re obligated to return all the seeds back to the grower.”

Counting duties actually don’t take long: This year’s total is 373, just below average. Although novice predictions go upward of seven figures, two years ago only a single seed was found. The disappointment today—other than that the winner isn’t on hand and will be notified by phone—is that “Gourdzilla” didn’t make it here, either, “over-ripening” a few days ago. “Where’s the giant pumpkin?” one downcast child asks Engel. “Oh, I am afraid we had to cut him open before he went bad. He’s out back now,” she says reassuringly, “resting in pieces.”

First Role Model

November 3, 2014
North Gay Street

Hours before Michelle Obama’s appearance at an Anthony Brown-Ken Ulman “Get Out the Vote” rally, Tamara Jones is mostly succeeding in keeping her 12-year-old daughter and friends content in line outside Baltimore’s War Memorial Building. “Sandwiches, chips, juice, plus Halloween candy,” Jones says. “And they all brought their iPads or devices to play.”

The girls, however—Jones’s daughter Riaine, Kayla Arrington, Nevaeh Donaldson, and Tara Lowery—don’t know that the First Lady is actually going to be here today, which Jones has kept a surprise, offering Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as the star attraction. “My daughter loves the mayor,” she says, noting that the sixth-grader at East Baltimore’s Henderson-Hopkins school has volunteered alongside Rawlings-Blake at neighborhood events. The mayor, in fact, is the first elected official to appear in the packed auditorium, followed by a roster of state Democratic politicos, including Lt. Gov. Brown, who eventually introduces the First Lady, sending the girls into a frenzy.

After a brief rallying speech, as Obama comes forward to greet the audience, the girls literally climb on the backs of nearby adults, thrusting their arms in the air for handshakes with the First Lady.

“I’m never going to wash this hand,” exclaims one of the girls.

“I got squished,” adds the smallest girl, Lowery, 9, nonetheless smiling and holding up a smartphone video of Obama.

“Do you think she should run for office?” someone asks Jones, who scored a hug from the presidential spouse.

“Why not? She’s smart, articulate, engaged in what’s going on—even fashionable,” Jones says. Bursting into laughter, she catches herself. “You were asking about the First Lady, not my daughter,” she smiles. “Yes, she should run, too.”

Brass in Pocket

November 6, 2014
Towson

“Two weeks ago, program director Scott Mullins asked me into his office and closed the door,” recalls general manager Steve Yasko, as anxious former 1980s teenagers and twentysomethings wait outside WTMD’s studio for the station’s weekly “Live Lunch” performance. “He leans back and folds his arms, like he always does when he has something—good or bad—to tell me. He says, ‘We’re 48 hours away from confirming Chrissie Hynde.’ Hardest thing in the world for me not to tell anyone for two days.”

Beloved for her tough but tender songs and persona, the legendary The Pretenders front woman, true to form, comes out in black boots, torn jeans, and a black T-shirt. Promoting her album Stockholm, the 63-year-old sits down between two accompanying musicians, literally rolling up her sleeves for 45 minutes of classics like “Kid” and “Talk of the Town,” and new material—her keening, seductive alto and attitude as distinct as ever. One moment she is waving off an encroaching photographer, and the next she’s generously calling out Baltimore’s All Mighty Senators, three of whom are in the audience and opened for The Pretenders on their 2003 tour.

Later, guitarist Warren Boes recalls that the Senators initially had “no idea” how Hynde chose them to fill the prestigious slot. “We were intimidated, but had to ask when we finally met her, ‘Why us?'” he recalls. “She said she saw our CD and handed it to [Pretenders’s guitarist] Adam Seymour for a listen. She said she told him, ‘These guys must be good. They’re not making it on their looks.'”

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Five Hot-Button Election Day Issues

Jess Mayhugh — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 15:06:00 +0000

Tomorrow is election day in Maryland, which usually means one thing: We’ll go blue. But this year’s political landscape looks a bit murkier, with controversial races and issues throughout the state. Here’s a roundup of the close calls.

Brown vs. Hogan: It’s hard to get a firm grasp on the race for governor this year. One day, a New York Times/CBS poll or Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight forecast has Democratic Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown comfortably ahead of Republican businessman Larry Hogan and the next, the Cook Political Report is calling the race essentially a toss-up.

Most polls, however, have consistently shown Brown holding a lead, slim or otherwise—not surprising given Maryland’s deep blue hue. While it would certainly be a major upset for the GOP to pull off a win, it’s not inconceivable by any stretch. Republican Bob Ehrlich, of course, won the governor’s race in 2002, and before that, Republican Ellen Sauerbrey lost by less than 6,000 votes to Democrat Parris Glendening in 1994.

Both parties have been bringing out the big hitters on the campaign trail in recent days, with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stumping for Hogan and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama coming to Maryland on Brown’s behalf.

Many Democratic activists were excited by former Del. Heather Mizeur’s primary campaign and have seemed less enthused by Brown, a qualified candidate who nonetheless has spent the last eight years in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s shadow. Hogan, on the other hand, has been enthusiastically embraced by the Maryland GOP from the get-go and has run a solid campaign. It’ll be interesting to see how turnout on both sides, well, turns out Tuesday.

Peroutka vs. Armstrong: In what has got to be one of most bizarre races, Michael Peroutka, a staunch conservative Republican is running for a seat on the Anne Arundel County Council against novice Democratic candidate Patrick Armstrong, who was most recently an employee at Party City.

Until about a month ago, Peroutka was a member of the League of the South, an Alabama-based group that urges southern states to secede from the Union and he also opposes gay marriage, believes in creationism, and considers “Dixie” the national anthem. His narrow primary victory in June came as a shock to both parties.

On the flipside, the Democrats bolstered a novice candidate in 31-year-old Armstrong, assuming that a Republican will win the general election in the right-leaning 5th district (as they have done for nearly 30 years). Armstrong’s most recent employer was a Party City in Bowie, though before the retailer he was an Iowa organizer for Joe Biden’s short-lived 2008 presidential campaign.

Peroutka, who is focusing on repealing taxes to Armstrong’s focus on education, is widely believed to have a good chance of winning in the GOP-heavy district.

Bane vs. Gahler: In what may seem like a mundane race, the election for Harford County Sheriff is somewhat of a do-over from 2010. Current Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane, a Democrat is seeking his third term in a county that typically votes Republican.

His opponent is Republican Jeff Gahler, whom Bane faced in the 2010 general election, and who was defeated by a narrow margin of just 3,086 votes, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Bane has been working in the Sheriff’s office for 42 years, while Gahler just retired from the Maryland State Police in June 2012 with the rank of captain. Each candidate has been endorsed by major county organizations, including the Correctional Associate and the Sheriff’s Union, so the race, at this point, looks like a toss-up.

Question 2: There are two amendments to the Maryland Constitution being proposed tomorrow, one of which is particularly meta, as it’s asking voters to consider how we elect certain politicians.

Question 2 will appear on ballots statewide, asking voters to decide whether to allow, but not require, local government to hold a special election when there is a vacancy in the Baltimore mayor’s office or a county executive’s seat. The amendment would give the city and county councils the power to authorize these elections.

The amendment is particularly apropos in Baltimore City, as its last two mayors have already been decided by succession instead of through election by the voters.

Vote flipping: This has been a hot-button (pun sort of intended) issue this past week, as early voters were experiencing some complications with the touch-screen ballots.

A few dozen complaints came into the Board of Elections, Maryland Republican Party, and the Hogan campaign from people who said they tried to select a Republican, but the monitor instead showed a Democrat choice.

Whether it’s faulty touch-screen machines or user error by several voters, one thing is clear: Be sure to review your ballot before turning it into the election judge tomorrow.

Additional reporting for this article was provided by Ron Cassie.

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Legalize It? General Assembly Debating New Marijuana Laws

Ron Cassie — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 12:53:00 +0000

As the marijuana legalization debate grows across the country,
Baltimore County Sen. Bobby Zirkin and Howard County Sen. Alan Kittleman
introduced legislation Wednesday that would decriminalize small amounts
of pot in Maryland. Pointing to broadening public support for such
measures, it’s worth noting that while Zirkin is a Democrat—the party
viewed as more liberal on such social issues—Kittleman is a Republican running for county executive.

Senate Bill 364,
if passed and signed into law, would reduce the possession of less than
10 grams of marijuana from a criminal to a civil offense, authorizing
police officers only to issue citations for possession under specified
circumstances. Last year,
a similar measure sponsored by Zirkin and Kittleman passed Maryland’s
Senate by a vote of 30-16, but failed to win support in the House of
Delegates.

Earlier this month, Sen. Jamie Raskin, Del. Curt Anderson, and Del. Sheila Hixson announced the formation of the Marijuana Policy Coalition of Maryland
and support for the outright legalization of marijuana. Their proposal,
The Marijuana Control Act of 2014, “would make the personal use,
possession, and limited home-growing of marijuana legal for adults 21
years of age and older; establish a system in which marijuana is
regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol; and allow for the cultivation, processing, and sale of industrial hemp.”

However,
the passage of marijuana decriminalization—or a step further—the
legalization of marijuana, and subsequent regulation and taxation, is
very unlikely this year.

Gov. Martin O’Malley, in the final year of his second term, is on record opposing
marijuana legalization in the manner of Colorado and Washington state.
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, currently campaigning for governor, has only
gone so far as to say he would consider decriminalization
and/or legalization proposals if they enable law enforcement officials
to focus on more serious crimes. A spokesman for Attorney General
Douglas Gansler, also running for governor, said Gansler doesn’t consider legalization “appropriate.” Last year, O’Malley signed legislation making Maryland the 19th to state to allow marijuana for medical purposes.

Still, the tide appears to have turned. Earlier this year, powerful Senate president Mike Miller
said he now supports the legalization of marijuana—and Miller’s support
is crucial to getting anything accomplished in the General Assembly.

This fall, a Goucher College poll
found that 51 percent of Marylanders support marijuana legalization and
40 percent oppose such a measure. Also, Del. Heather Mizeur, a
candidate for governor, has publicly stated her support for
legalization.

And, this week President Obama weighed in and said he didn’t believe pot was more dangerous than alcohol.

On
the other hand, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said last week
she doesn’t support full legalization while City Council President Jack
Young said he supports decriminalization because of the negative impact
arrests have on employment opportunities for young people.

Finally, House Speaker Michael Busch told the Washington Post
that he thinks Maryland should wait to see how things pan out in
Colorado before acting. Which is probably what will happen, if for no
other reason then the passage of any decriminalization or legalization
law will ultimately likely rest on who wins the race to replace O’Malley
in the governor’s mansion.

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Gansler In Controversy Over Son’s Senior Week Beach Party

Ron Cassie — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Update (4:36 p.m.): Thursday afternoon Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler posted this comment on his public Facebook page:

“As a parent of a 19-year old, I face the same issues as many of you. How do we get it right? How do we draw the balance between helping our college teenagers make good choices and when to pull them back? You try to always make the best decisions. In this case, maybe I should have done something differently.”

The orginial story from this morning follows:

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler’s shaky start in the governor’s race continues.

Two weeks after the Washington Post first reported that state troopers described Gansler as a “reckless passenger,” who regularly told troopers to use their sirens and speed to appointments, an Instagram photo emerged of him (above, in white shirt with cell phone in hand) at a senior “beach week” party in Delaware.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Gansler says he “should have assumed” there was underage drinking at the party—at a home rented by Gansler and several parents of recent Landon School graduates, including his son—but did not try to break up the party.

Of senior week, Gansler told the Sun, “For better or worse, the reality is some kids drink alcohol while they’re there . . . “Was I supposed to serve as the police officer? No.”

According to Gansler, there were adult male chaperones at the party and rules that forbade “hard” alcohol and closed bedroom doors were enforced. The photo and controversy has sparked national attention today, including discussions about Gansler’s role as a parent and Maryland (out-of-state, in this case) law enforcement official.

Early polls showed Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown leading by a wide margin in the Democratic primary race for governor. Along with Gansler and Brown, Democratic state Del. Heather Mizeur has announced her candidancy for governor.

Former Baltimore County Executive and current U.S. Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, another Democrat, said recently that he’ll announce a decision around Thanksgiving on whether he’ll throw his hat in the ring.

Republican candidates for the governor’s office include Harford County Executive David Craig, Anne Arundel state Del. Ron George, and Charles Lollar, a former congressional candidate and former Charles County Republican Central Committee chairman.

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