Len Lazarick, Author at MarylandReporter.com

Smith Island losing land, people and now its shepherd

Pastor Rick Edmund made Smith Island his home for 17 years. It was the longest he had lived anywhere, and islanders believe he is the longest serving preacher in the centuries-long history of this three-village archipelago across Tangier Sound from Crisfield, Md. June was his last month here — his last island communion, his last crab cake supper. His last commute by car, skiff and golf cart to the three churches he served on Ewell, Rhodes Point and Tylerton.

State Roundup, July 6, 2017

Maryland regulators of medical marijuana industry give OK to Frederick firm to open state’s first dispensary, although no pot is available to sell; BPW OKs modification of state voting system contract after cost is underestimated; MGM National Harbor casino continues to rake in the money while others lag; small urban anchors like Salisbury, Frederick and Cumberland could be where revitalization starts; immigration enforcement spurs concern of state business leaders; Montgomery County celebrates its largest solar array; and Arundel pushes cybersecurity business sector.

Maryland Divided Part 5: Can Salisbury and small enclaves make rural Maryland cool?

This is the last part of a five-part series on the divide between rural Maryland and the rest of the state. People are dying faster than they’re being replaced in rural Maryland, and where they’re not the numbers are trending that way. So retaining residents and attracting new ones is vital, and cities like Salisbury, Frederick and Cumberland — small urban anchors in Maryland’s rural areas — could be where the revitalization begins.

State Roundup, July 5, 2017

State elections officials, lawmakers, Attorney General Frosh, ACLU all line up against Trump administration voter rolls request as it probes alleged voter fraud; deputy Secretary of State who sat on Trump voter fraud panel resigns; Frosh seeks dismissal of redistricting suit; as of July 1, new business laws take effect, state bans scholarship displacement, naxolone to be available on school campus; state to address lead poisoning with $7.2 million federal grant; American Petroleum Institute spent most to lobby in Annapolis; Progressives push Ben Jealous gubernatorial candidacy without considering others; and one too many amendments kill ag tourism bill in Anne Arundel.

Maryland Divided Part 4: Can solar, aquaculture supplant Big Chicken?

This is the fourth in a five-part series about the divide between rural Maryland and the rest of the state. The old economic mainstays of crop farming, raising chickens and catching fish and crabs provide jobs and preserve the Eastern Shore’s character, but all three industries face economic pressures that make their future uncertain.

State Roundup, June 30, 2017

House panel OKs stripping $200 million for new FBI headquarters, imperiling plans for Maryland location; among laws to take effect Saturday: a bill to protect funding for Planned Parenthood if federal cuts occur, one that would give tuition breaks to some out of state students and one to more closely monitor opioid prescriptions; Gov. Hogan headed for an appointment showdown with two secretaries re-appointed, paid without Senate approval; delay possible in Maryland gerrymander case; and HUD chief Carson seeks expansion of privatizing public housing.

Maryland Divided Part 3: Blending old economy with new in Frederick and Harford counties

This is the third part in a five-part series about the divide between rural Maryland and the rest of the state. Unlike Western Maryland and Eastern Shore counties, which are starved for growth, Harford, Carroll and Frederick are trying to ensure their farming heritage doesn’t become a casualty of their recent economic success and decades-long population growth.

Aquaculture reviving Md. oyster industry – as well as watermen

Decades ago, Wingate Harbor was full of working oystermen in the late fall and winter, plying the Honga River’s thick oyster bars and bringing their catch to the dock. But when diseases took hold and the harvest plummeted, the oystermen hung up their dredges and tongs and left this lower Dorchester County village for other lines of work.
Today, three watermen are back, pulling up oyster cages from leased bottom about one-half mile from the dock at the Honga Oyster Co.

State Roundup, June 29, 2017

Dozens of new laws to take effect Saturday, including opioid education programs, governing craft breweries and aiding Planned Parenthood; Comptroller Franchot ramps up work with his craft brewery task force as Virginia seeks to lure Maryland businesses; state Dem Party chair Matthews criticizes Gov. Hogan over “lack of leadership” on U.S. Senate moves against Affordable Care Act; two editorial board give a thumbs up to new state 5-star school ranking plans; in Part 2 of Maryland Divided, two mountain counties are united in landscape, but not in approaches to economic development; medical marijuana business sets sight on Silver Spring shop; Baltimore County Exec Kamenetz sounds like he’s running for governor; Del. Frick gears up run for Congress; and three Montgomery Council incumbents say they qualify for public financing.

Maryland Divided Part 2: Western Maryland fracking fight reveals divergent economic visions

This is the second part in a five-part series examining the divide between rural Maryland and the rest of the state. Allegany and Garrett, the state’s two westernmost counties, tend to be lumped together as “Mountain Maryland,” their problems similar, their prospects equally muddled. But the two counties’ economic issues — and their approaches to solving them — differ starkly.

Len Lazarick

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