2008
The Chesapeake

Your Two Cents

Kratovil Edges Harris

by Matt Dernoga
Hey, Sierra Club members, as some of you may know, there was a very close contest in the 1st Congressional District of Maryland, which covers the Eastern Shore counties and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Cecil Counties. The Sierra Club endorsed Democrat Frank Kratovil in his face-off against long-time environmental foe State Senator Andy Harris. At the beginning of the year and into the summer, Kratovil was trailing Harris by double digits in the polls. The Harris campaign was swimming in special interest money and resources. The political pundits who rank races by competitiveness around the country labeled the seat “safe” for Harris’s taking. At one point I read that Andy Harris had said that the 1st district was one that a conservative could win every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Environmental Priorities in the 2009 Maryland Legislative Session

by David O’Leary
The new year signals the start of a new legislative session in Maryland. In 2009, discussions of the state budget are expected to dominate throughout the session.

Celebrating Success While Preparing for New Challenges

by Ron Henry
Wow, it happened! Let’s celebrate the election results at the state and national levels. We now have the opportunity to set in place, put into motion, ensure execution, and achieve the environmental objectives that are so sorely needed and long fought for. Congratulations and thanks for the efforts made by every MD Chapter Sierran, volunteers and staff, in achieving the election results that provided this opportunity. You have done yourselves proud.

In Our Chapter Election, All of the Candidates Are Environmentalists

This issue of Chesapeake includes the ballot for electing at-large members of the executive committee of the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Candidates’ Statements

Statements from excom nominees Erin Barnes, Baird Straughan, Bonnie Bick, Ron Henry, and Brigitte Fortin

Chapter Helps Propel Obama and Kratovil to Victory

by Betsy Johnson
The euphoria lingers! On election night, standing in a crowd of Obama volunteers, I felt a sense of elation that I haven’t felt since high school, long ago and far away. This time, I’d been involved for five months in trying to help an intelligent and talented man be elected to the presidency. Our long nightmare with the Bush administration was almost over

Get Involved with Our Efforts in Annapolis in 2009

by David O’Leary
The Maryland General Assembly will be in session from mid-January through mid-April of 2009.

Partners for Open Space

by Kelly Carneal
Nothing is more beautiful than a crisp fall day in Maryland: the sun shimmering on our beautiful Chesapeake Bay; the red and yellow leaves of our rich forests; the long views of crop and pastureland; and the gentle murmur of rivers and streams running through our landscape. No wonder Maryland is known as “the land of pleasant living.”

Could a Perfect Storm Save Mattawoman Creek?

Could the currents of change sweep away officialdom’s facade of happy talk about the prospects for our aquatic resources?

Hoyer and Cardin and the Red Rock Wilderness

by Chris Yoder
The unique fragile and irreplaceable asset found in the Public Land wildlands of Utah belongs to every American, including every citizen of Maryland. That is why Maryland Sierrans, and all of Maryland’s citizens, are indebted to Senator Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny Hoyer for standing tall in the face of Senator Bill Bennett’s (R-Utah) efforts to pass his so-called “Washington County Growth and Conservation Act” through the back door, either by adding it to the omnibus public lands bill reported out by the Senate Energy Committee, or by attaching it to “must pass” legislation headed to the House.

Thinking and Drinking Green at “Green Drinks”

by Jessie Lane
Environmentalists around the country and internationally are meeting up once a month for fun get-togethers known as “green drinks.” This phenomenon has become a way to catch up with fellow “green” people and make new contacts.

Maryland Sierrans Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

by Mary C. Corddry
Following is a roundup of what’s happening with the nine Sierra Club Groups in Maryland: Anne Arundel County, Catoctin, Eastern Shore, Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Southern Maryland, and Western Maryland. If you have information to contribute to future “Roundups” for the Chesapeake newsletter, please contact Mary Corddry at XxDiTz4LyFxX@aol.com or at 410-239-4590.

Paddlers Show Their Appreciation of the Tred Avon River

by Doc Kuntz
The first River Appreciation Day Paddle (RAD PAD) on May 10 was the start of a concentrated effort to rid the North and South Forks of the Tred Avon River of accumulated trash. Led by the Rivers Appreciation Group and the Maryland Chapter’s Doc Kuntz, the event was supported by environmental organizations including the Talbot River Protection Association (TRPA) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and featured canoeing, kayaking, environmental educational exhibits, as well as the cleanup.

Leading by Doing

by Dan Soeder
My brother Jim died in mid-October from a brain tumor. It progressed frighteningly fast; slightly more than 6 months from the onset of symptoms until he was gone. We barely had time to say good-bye. He was just 52.