Tag Archives: Washington College

Washington College Writer-in-Residence to Read at Library

Meredith-Davies-HadawayWriter-in-Residence to Read at Library 

On Monday, May 12, at 6:00 p.m., in the Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library, Meredith Davies Hadaway will give a reading of her award-winning poetry.  Hadaway is the author of three books of verse: “The River is a Reason” (2011), “Fishing Secrets of the Dead” (2005), and the forthcoming “At the Narrows” (2015).   The recipient of multiple Pushcart nominations and two fellowships from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Hadaway has also won a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award.  She was a featured poet at Charleston’s Spoleto Festival in 2012.  Her poems and book reviews appear in numerous journals—most recently “Nimrod,” “Passages North,” and the “McNeese Review.”  She also serves as poetry editor for “The Summerset Review.”  This summer Hadaway will be a contributor at the inaugural Bread Loaf Orion Environmental Writers Conference.  She is the current Rose O’Neill Writer-in-Residence at Washington College.

All library programs are free and open to the public.  Patrons do not need to pre-register to attend Hadaway’s reading.  For more information, call the library at 410-822-1626, or visit www.tcfl.org.

St. Michaels Library to Show Oscar-Nominated Film

On Tuesday, May 13, at noon, the St. Michaels branch of the Talbot County Free Library will offer a free screening of the Oscar-nominated film “Saving Mr. Banks.”  Patrons are invited to bring their lunch and watch Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks in the starring roles.  Released last year, “Saving Mr. Banks” is rated PG-13.  All library programs are free and open to the public.  Patrons do not need to pre-register for this program.  For more information, call the library at 410-745-5877, or visit www.tcfl.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Fifth Annual Kent County Poetry Festival

Washington College and the Kent County Arts Council will present the fourth annual “Kent County Poetry Festival: A Day of Public Poetry in Celebration of National Poetry Month” at the Book Plate on Friday. People from throughout the county will gather to read aloud their favorite lines from the world of verse-a reminder that poetry, rather than being some rarefied specimen, is in fact a vital, living art with widespread appeal.
Friday, 6 April, 2012
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Location: The Book Plate, 112 S. Cross St., Chestertown, MD 21620

poetry@washcoll.edu
www.bookplate.biz/events.html

Washington College Names New Provost And Dean

Washington College has named Emily Chamlee-Wright as its new Provost and Dean. Chamlee-Wright currently serves as Associate Dean at Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she also teaches economics and directs the Miller Upton Programs on the Wealth and Well-being of Nations. Washington College president Mitchell B. Reiss says Chamlee-Wright stood out among a remarkably strong field of candidates because of her strengths as both a scholar and an administrator. “It is clear that Dr. Chamlee-Wright understands what it takes to be a great teacher and scholar, and what it takes to be a great liberal-arts college in the 21st century,” he adds. “She impressed us all with her passion for engaged learning, both in the classroom and in the field. In these challenging economic times, we also value her experience in bringing financial stability and sustainability to high-quality academic programs and in expanding summer programs at Beloit. Her talents, energy and creativity will help us move Washington College forward in significant ways.”

Dempsey To Talk At Washington College

Rick Dempsey, the Most Valuable Player of the 1983 World Series and a former star catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, will speak at Washington College on January 22nd. Billed as “A Conversation with Orioles Catcher Rick Dempsey,” the talk is being presented by the Washington College baseball team. It will begin at 1:00 p.m. and take place inside Decker Theatre at the College’s Gibson Center for the Arts. Light refreshments will follow and a selection of autographed items will be available through a silent auction. Admission is free and open to the public, though donations to the Washington College baseball team will be accepted.

“Songs of the Civil Rights Movement”

This Saturday, the town of Chestertown will celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the special concert “Songs of the Civil Rights Movement.” The event, which is free and open to the public, features local talent including Sombarkin, Pilgrim Travelers, New Goseplites, Bob and Pam Ortiz, the Mt. Olive Gospel Choir, and many more. Ample parking is available on the Washington College campus and along Campus Avenue in Chestertown. This songfest is one of two events honoring the legacy of Dr. King. It’s followed by the annual MLK Breakfast on Monday at 7 a.m. at the Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company.

Saturday, January 14, 2012
Starts at 4:00 PM

Location: Washington College, 300 Washington Ave., Chestertown, MD 21620

Phone: 410-778-7295

Royal Farms Robbery Suspect Caught In WC Dorm Room

A man is in custody following a night robbery of a Royal Farms store in Chestertown. The pursuit of the suspect took a bizarre turn, with it ending inside a dorm on the campus of Washington College. Chestertown police said that 29-year-old Judge Barrett Anthony of Betterton, MD entered the Royal Farms at 301 Maple Avenue and demanded money from the cashier. Police said that during the robbery, Anthony implied that he was carrying a firearm. Investigators said Anthony then took off with the money in a white Chevrolet Blazer. Officers later found that SUV at the Driftwood Inn on Washington Avenue in Chestertown. The vehicle was occupied by a female who was detained and later released pending charges. Police said that meantime, Anthony managed to escape from the Driftwood Inn through a window, and then ran toward Washington College. He was found hiding inside a bathroom in the Cecil House dormitory and taken into custody. A Maryland State Police trooper assisting Chestertown police received minor injuries during Anthony’s capture. The trooper was taken to Chester River Health Center for treatment and released. Police have not yet announced what charges Anthony is facing in connection with the robbery.

Washington College Buys Armory

Washington College is soon to be the proud owner of the SFC John H. Newman Armory. In executive session last week, Mayor Margo Bailey and the Chestertown Council approved WC’s counter proposal to an offer made to the college on November 21. Most of the council members appeared in good spirits as they emerged from the closed meeting that lasted only minutes. Jim Gatto said the session was extremely positive. He said WC’s offer addressed many of the sticking points that had shadowed the months of arduous negotiations with WC President Mitchell Reiss. Councilman Marty Stetson was the only vote against the proposal.

Washington College began the environmental cleanup of the old Alger Oil site in Chestertown to make way for construction of a new environmental center, according to WC Director of Media Relations Kay MacIntosh. In addition to the clean up, Earth Data of Centreville began water and soil monitoring at the Armory site. The Armory is now be included in the college’s plans for the environmental center.

Washington College Freshman Awarded Scholarships

Amanda Varvar and Vistoria Zisser are the recipients of The Chester Rivewr Chorale’s Young Chorister Scholarships. The annual $500 scholarships were awarded to the two Washington College freshmen to further encourage the young singers to hone their craft.

Washington College Not To Buy Chestertown Armory

An Open Letter to Our Neighbors:

In recent months, there has been a great deal of attention focused on Washington College’s interest in acquiring the SFC John H. Newman Armory. Throughout this process, my communications have largely been directed to the Town Council. In conversations with many in the community, I have come to appreciate that there is some uncertainty regarding how we arrived at this moment. By this open letter, I would like to share the College’s perspective.

Late last spring, we learned that the Town decided to exercise its option to acquire the Armory according to the State’s surplus property protocol. At this time, the College informed the Town of its renewed interest in the Armory.

In June, the College submitted to the Town Council a Mission Statement outlining the College’s intentions for the property, assuring public access, and committing to extending the Chester River promenade from Wilmer Park, across the College’s current properties and through the Armory property. The College agreed to reimburse the Town for the expenses associated with an environmental hazards report commissioned by the Town on the Armory property. The College further assured the Council that it would make available the Armory for local charities when their events did not conflict with College needs. In exchange, the College requested the opportunity to acquire the Armory for the cost of the outstanding mortgage (approximately $320,000). This is the sum the State of Maryland would expect from the Town were it to acquire title to the property.

On July 18, the Town Council voted 4-1, in the verbatim transcript from that meeting, “to assign ownership of the Armory to Washington College, with the understanding that costs borne to the Town would be reimbursed by the College, the Mission Statement would be included as a Memorandum of Understanding, there would be a connection from Quaker Neck Road to the river walk and the College would direct consultant work to tie into the Town’s plans.”

As the Mission Statement was converted to a Memorandum of Understanding, a host of extraneous issues were brought into the transaction, including requirements: that the College build three 25-foot wide walkways on the Armory property; that the College make up the financial shortfall the Town was experiencing in the construction of the rails-to-trails project; that the College install a trail along the vacant property it owns from the railroad bed on Route 298 up to the intersection with Route 213, then north on Route 213 to the vehicular entrance to Kent Plaza; and, that the College form a joint venture with a small conference hotel with restaurant as a part of its redevelopment of the Armory. These new requirements were then endorsed by a vote of 3-2, with Councilmen Gatto, Anthony, and Stetson in the majority.

While Washington College is willing to accept the financial challenge of rehabilitating the Armory (including all liability for any environmental hazards both in the building and on/under the property), and making it available once more for public access, we are not in a position to accept the extraneous requirements proposed by Councilmen Gatto, Anthony, and Stetson, a fact I have conveyed to the Town Council. I have also conveyed the urgency of resolving this issue by mid-November so that the College could incorporate any environmental remediation at the Armory into the planned cleanup of the adjoining brownfield site this winter. On October 21, we received a confidential counter-proposal that eliminated some of the earlier requirements but inserted new provisions that would compel the College to incur additional and substantial financial burdens in relation to this transaction. We now appear to be at an impasse.

I regret that the negotiations for the Chestertown Armory have taken this turn. Despite best efforts on both sides, we seem unable to achieve an agreement that would allow the College to rehabilitate the site and the building as originally envisioned. Unless the Town Council is prepared to honor the commitment made to the College in their vote of July 18, we have no choice but to decline the opportunity to acquire the Chestertown Armory.

Even if the Town were to proceed as we agreed this past July, Washington College would still need to negotiate with the Maryland Historic Trust the nature and terms of easements that they would place on the property and the structure before its transfer from State ownership. We would need some assurance that the College’s plans for rehabilitation and use of the property, for ourselves and for the community, would be congruent with any historic easements.

As for Washington College, we will focus our efforts over the next several months on remediating the environmental hazards on the former Alger Oil and Crop Production Services properties. We will launch an intensive effort with our architects to develop complementary plans for a new College boathouse and a new academic building that will house our Center for the Environment & Society. We remain committed to extending the Chester River promenade along our waterfront. Finally, we will begin the necessary private fundraising efforts to bring this vision of a world-class collegiate waterfront to reality.

We wish the Council well in its disposition of the Armory property. As disappointed as we are that we were unable to reach agreement on the Armory, we remain committed to continuing our productive partnership with the Town, County, and Eastern Shore.

It will be our pleasure to welcome the community to participate in the exciting programming that will take place at our new waterfront campus. In the interim, we invite you to watch our progress and we would welcome your support.

Sincerely,

Mitchell B. Reiss
President

Charlie Moloney Passes Away

Charles “Charlie” Moloney, a long-time supporter of Washington College lacrosse, passed away at the age of 89. Moloney’s significance to lacrosse at Washington College went beyond the simple title of “fan.”

“Washington College lacrosse lost one of our family last night,” remarked Dr. Bryan Matthews. Washington College Director of Athletics. “Charlie Moloney was a larger than life part of over twenty years of the Washington College lacrosse story. To say he was one-of-a-kind is an understatement – Charlie may be the last of his kind. Charlie was from the days when a die-hard fan could host crab feasts at his home, welcoming players, parents, alumni, and friends of the lacrosse program. He rode the bus to away games, even accompanying the team to NCAA Championship games at the University of Maryland.

“Perhaps Charlie’s defining moment as a member of the Shoremen lacrosse family was on St Patrick’s Day in 1982. Prior to the start of the Navy game on Kibler Field, Charlie, dressed in full leprechaun regalia, came onto the field and took an honorary face-off versus a Navy midfielder. Washington College went on to beat Navy for the first time in the fifty-year rivalry. Charlie started the magic that day. Charlie Moloney stories will be told for a very long time, and every one of them will make someone feel good.”

The Washington College men’s lacrosse team will honor Charlie at its annual alumni game, which is scheduled for September 24th at 3:00 p.m. on Kibler Field at Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium. Alumni and friends are encouraged to post their fond memories of Charlie on the men’s lacrosse blog.