Gary Bennett

Take Everyone Out to the Ball Game

New stadium, minor league team coming to Hagerstown this spring

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in DayTripper Magazine, Spring 2024.

Meritus Park, the nearly $70 million, 4,000-seat stadium, financed by the State of Mayland, promises to be a game changer for Hagerstown, which has hosted minor league baseball for over 100 years. Construction began in the fall 2022 and is scheduled to wrap up in time for the opening game on May 3.

“It’s going to be an incredible facility not just for baseball, but for other events like festivals and concerts and will really provide a huge boost to Hagerstown’s downtown economy,” said David Blenckstone, general manager of Hagerstown’s new minor league baseball team and the stadium’s first tenant.

“The stadium will reflect the city of Hagerstown with an emphasis on railroads and bricks, two industries the city was really known for historically. We are proud of all the art that will adorn the concourses, too,” said Blenckstone.

Minor League Baseball’s newest team, the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, will call the stadium home and compete in the Atlantic League. They are one of 10 teams in the Atlantic League this year. The players’ skill level will be tantamount to AA or AAA players.

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars logo including mascot Stryker and a C-119 “flying boxcar”

So, what’s a flying boxcar?

A team naming contest held last year garnered 1,700 responses. The clear winner was a nod to Hagerstown’s proud aviation past. The sprawling local Fairchild plant was a key builder of the C-119 Flying Boxcar for both the Navy and Marine Corps in the 1940s. The nickname aptly represents the giant military transport aircraft developed to carry both cargo and personnel into battle in Europe.

As for the stadium, Meritus Park will boast all the amenities you would expect from a minor league ballpark plus many you might not. Construction of the stadium is in the hands of the Maryland Stadium Authority, famous for their creative stewardship of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

“The stadium is designed not just for the hard-core baseball fan but also for the casual one who is looking for an enjoyable, social evening out,” said Blenckstone.

One notable feature will be the 360-degree concourse that allows fans to walk completely around the inside of the stadium. That’s not something you find at Harry Grove Stadium or other typical minor league parks.

The stadium will have a full-service bar in the left field area and a beer garden in right. A picnic area greets you near the main gate and a family-friendly zone is right behind first base. The video board, lighting system and sound system are promised to be of major-league quality and state of the art.

Attendees at an evening game can easily make a day of it because of the downtown location. A pleasant mile-long walkway called the Hagerstown Cultural Trail runs along the ballpark for about a half mile, connecting visitors to the arts and entertainment district, Hagerstown City Park and Fine Arts Museum.

Highly rated local restaurants within easy walking distance of the stadium include: Broad Axe, Bulls and Bears, 28 South and Schmankerl Stube—a quintessentially German-themed restaurant serving hearty Bavarian fare.

Fans will certainly have no trouble finding the stadium. It sits near the corner of West Baltimore Street and Summit Avenue in downtown Hagerstown right next to the old Hearld-Mail newspaper building. The stadium’s tall and imposing façade and light stanchions will dominate Hagerstown’s skyline.

Parking should be no problem either. The City of Hagerstown is contributing a 400-car parking deck right next to the stadium. Plus, two more existing parking decks are within 3 blocks of the stadium.

The season begins in early May. Get tickets at FlyingBoxcars.com.

Themed nights will include Silver Sluggers Tuesdays—special ticket prices and giveaways for those 55 and older—and Double Dog Days Wednesdays—bring your pooch and enjoy discounts on hot dogs. See a complete list is at FlyingBoxcars.com.

Catch Games in Frederick, MD, Too

The Frederick Keys

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in DayTripper magazine, Spring 2024.

The Keys are back for another exciting season of MLB Draft League baseball. The 2024 season kicks off June 4 at the West Virginia Black Bears. Opening Day at Harry Grove Stadium is June 11 against the Trenton Thunder.

The 2024 schedule can be found at https://www.mlbdraftleague.com/. Ticket prices begin at $9 for general admission and are available at the box office and online at https://www.mlbdradftleague.com/frederick.

Fireworks will be featured after every Friday and Saturday home game, plus the Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza will be held Wednesday, July 3, and fireworks are planned for Sunday, Sept. 1.

The Keys will be the only baseball tenant at Harry Gove Stadium this year, as the Spire City Ghost Hounds, part of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball last year, are on a one-year hiatus, with their return slated for 2025.

This is the fourth year of the Keys’ participation in the MLB Draft League. It is a six-team league with a split-season amateur-professional format. The first half features MLB draft-eligible players. The second half switches to a professional format, with paid players comprising the six rosters.

Can Frederick County ever be ‘Montgomery County North?’

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

white and gray concrete buildings under blue sky — Montgomery County, Maryland

You hear the sentiment thrown around all the time: “If we don’t stop all of this development, Frederick’s going to become Montgomery County North.”

Hyperbole? Sure. But like a lot of things, if we don’t rely on facts, misinformation can take hold.

It makes a nice political sound bite and is easy to fall back on when we see traffic getting heavier and schools more crowded. We do have an infrastructure problem that will take real political will to solve.

The hard truth, however, is we still don’t have enough housing in this county to satisfy demand. That is irrefutable.

Experts and politicians from both sides say so. But not just that, ask the 20- and 30-year-olds around Frederick who would like to purchase a starter home but can’t. Ask the working parents about finding a reasonable rent that doesn’t take most of their paycheck.

Ask the 60- or 70-year-olds who want to downsize but can’t find anything to downsize into. The problem is real and the construction you see is Frederick County’s attempt to bring balance back to the housing market.

When comparing Frederick County with Montgomery County, here are some facts to consider.

Size

Montgomery County is huge. Frederick County has about 290,000 people; Montgomery County has nearly 1.1 million.

In geographic size, Frederick County is the largest in the state. We have a land mass of about 660 square miles. Montgomery County has about 493 square miles. Frederick County has a density of about 440 people per square mile while Montgomery County’s is about 2,100 people per square mile. It would take growth of biblical proportions for Frederick County to get anywhere near the density of Montgomery County.

Growth

Frederick and Montgomery counties are growing at comparable rates. Most growth in Montgomery County is concentrated in nine large cities or areas, including Bethesda and Silver Spring, which mostly border Washington, D.C. In Frederick County, most growth is centered in and around the city of Frederick, where infrastructure and transit options are strongest.

In Montgomery County, the growth in the larger cities near Washington, D.C., has been allowed to run together, giving it a feel of sprawl. In Frederick County, most municipalities have adopted slow-growth policies. Because of this and the open-space initiatives discussed below, there can be no running together of municipalities in Frederick County.

Open space

In Frederick and Montgomery counties, large swaths of land must be kept perpetually rural because of Maryland’s agricultural reserve program. In fact, the northern part of Montgomery County is just as rural, if not more so, than Frederick County. One-third of Montgomery County, or 93,000 acres, has been designated as the Agricultural Reserve.

But Frederick County does a better job.

Its priority preservation program seeks to permanently preserve at least 160,000 acres of agricultural land and protect a total agricultural base of 200,000 acres as a rural reserve to support a diversity of agricultural practices.

When you add on land in programs like the conservation reserve enhancement program (CREP) and the Creek Releaf program, land protected in stream buffers and county parkland, the county aims to have over 200,000 of its 427,000 acres (47%) in some type of program that is or is intended to be protected against development.

The availability of adequate public facilities focuses planning and development on the municipalities of the county, chiefly the city of Frederick. Therefore, discussions shouldn’t center on maintaining the agricultural nature of the county that we all love — that is not going away—but rather should be focused on how we can best plan for development in the municipalities of the county.

Migration

It is convenient to claim that large numbers of people from Montgomery County are moving to Frederick County every day to escape growth and taxes. Some of that is happening, but not as much as we think.

According to the 2020 American Community Survey, roughly 16,000 people migrated into Frederick County from 2016 to 2020. During this same time, about 14,100 migrated out, for a net gain of nearly 2,000. Would anybody have guessed this?

Of the 16,000 who migrated into Frederick County during this time, about 3,200, or 20% came from Montgomery County. But, 2,200 Frederick County residents migrated to Montgomery County during this time, for a net of about 1,000 people.

Yes, in-migration from Montgomery County is higher than for any other Maryland county, but it is certainly not an invasion. Interestingly, when you look at per capita in-migration, Carroll and Washington counties lead the way.

an amusement park at night — Frederick County Fair, 2023

Editor’s note: Gary Bennett is a retired marketing executive. Hugh Gordon is the association executive for the Frederick County Association of Realtors and has decades of experience in the real estate world, including 24 years as a mortgage banker. They are longtime Frederick County residents and members of the Frederick County Affordable Housing Council.

‘5 O’clock Somewhere’ show celebrates Jimmy Buffett’s music

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the February 22, 2024, issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

5 O’clock Somewhere, a tribute band that celebrates the music of Jimmy Buffett and others, is coming back to Frederick.

The show will be at New Spire Arts on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Key West Productions has brought the “5 O’clock” show to Frederick in years past, but with the death of Buffett on Sept. 1, 2023, the producers have infused the show with more Buffett classics and a heartfelt tribute.

“The show kind of morphed after Jimmy died. There had always been a few of his songs in the set list, but now we have eight or nine with great stories and pictures to really enhance the experience,” said Tom Kohlhepp of Key West Productions. “You’ll imagine you have a drink in your hand and a sea breeze in your face.”

The 90-minute show features soft-rock and country favorites in the first half from artists like The Eagles, America, the Doobie Bothers, Kenny Chesney and others — songs you want to hear when it’s 5 o’clock on a Friday and it’s time to let your hair down and have a good time.

The second half of the show is turned over to the music and stories of Buffett, the late troubadour of laid-back island soul.

Kohlhepp promises the band will play all of the songs that used to get costumed crowds on their feet all over the world, batting around beach balls and swaying back and forth in packed arenas.

The band will play “Margaritaville” (with a rarely sung last verse), “Come Monday,” “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “A Pirate Looks at 50,” “Volcano,” “Fins,” “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” and a few surprises.

The featured artists are Safe Harbor, based nearby in Jefferson.

Safe Harbor is made up of the award-winning married duo of Sam and Katherine Ott, along with backup artists from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. They count themselves as Buffett fans, playing all over the eastern U.S.

They performed the show recently in Key West, Florida, Buffett’s hometown.

“I can guarantee folks in the audience will come away with a better understanding of Jimmy Buffett, why he wrote each of his greatest hits and the great stories that are behind them,” Kohlhepp said. “Some people consider Buffett a country singer, others a pop singer. I’ve always considered him just a folk singer in flip flops. There’ll be good stories put to song with a drink in your hand. What could be better?”

When you listen to Buffett, you can’t help but smile

By Gary Bennett

GULF SHORES, AL – JULY 11: Musician Jimmy Buffett performs onstage at Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live from the Gulf Coast, a concert presented by CMT at on the beach on July 11, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)

This article appears in the February 22, 2024, issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

Jimmy Buffett lived a life most of us can only dream of. By all accounts it was wacky, wild and wonderful.

We all know about his hugely successful music career. He recorded more than 30 albums, wrote and recorded a career-defining and endlessly entertaining song in “Margaritaville” and built a string of successful Margaritaville restaurants and resorts.

But did you know he was a best-selling author and a seaplane pilot?

He wrote three best-selling books: “Tales from Margaritaville,” “Where is Joe Merchant,” and “A Pirate Looks at Fifty.”

Piloting a seaplane was his way of escaping reality and inviting family and friends on his many adventures, fishing and otherwise, all around the Caribbean.

His early life wasn’t always easy, though.

He flunked out of college, flunked his draft physical and started a band in his 20s, but it got no traction, so it broke up soon after.

He was divorced twice, went broke once and survived not one, but two, devastating crashes: one by car and one by seaplane that he only survived due to some Navy training.

Later, he broke the same leg three times in one year, did a lot of dope and went into therapy.

But there’s no reason to focus on the negative stuff because Jimmy never did.

He spent his life looking optimistically for the next opportunity and he almost always found it. He was signed to a recording contract at ABC Records in 1973 to replace his recently deceased friend, Jim Croce.

Buffett died last year on Sept. 1 at age 76, from complications from Merkle cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer.

Somehow, fittingly, he died on the last day of meteorological summer. If the “music died” when Buddy Holly died, could it be that summer died with Jimmy Buffett? We’ll have to wait and see this summer.

I was never a big Jimmy Buffett fan and certainly never a “parrothead”— the term reserved for his most loyal, diehard fans who could always be counted on to dress up in wild costumes at his concerts, perhaps with a parrot on their shoulder.

But I can appreciate the niche he carved out for himself in the music business, much to everyone’s surprise.

One can name no other artist (other than the Beach Boys) who so completely embodied a carefree, island-hopping, “strumming my six-string on my front porch swing,” summery persona.

Buffett may have described himself best when he said: “I’ve got a Caribbean soul I can barely control.” He and his Coral Reefer band toured the world for nearly 50 years, bringing joy wherever they set down.

My wife and I have been to a few of his concerts and always had a really good time.

Near the end, he wasn’t much of a singer. He was more like an affable host or a barefoot ringleader of one giant outdoor party.

Sometimes, you felt like he was phoning it in, not giving it much effort. But the more I thought about it, isn’t that the essence of Jimmy Buffett anyway, making it look easy and effortless?

Surprisingly, he started out as more of a country singer. His 1974 heartfelt ballad “Come Monday” was a big hit on both the country and pop charts. It has an unmistakable country feel to it.

But soon after, something changed. He was no longer country. He embraced what might be called tropical island or Caribbean music, with a strong influence of steel drums and simple melodies and lyrics. By all accounts, he went back to his roots.

When “Margaritaville” hit the airwaves in 1977, it was impossible not to like the song or the carefree-looking artist that penned and sang it. “Margaritaville” speaks not of a town, but of a state of mind when you use your favorite adult beverage to numb yourself to life and your inability to do much with it.

With exasperation but acceptance, Buffett sang “Don’t know the reason / stayed here all season / Nothin’ to show but this brand new tattoo. But it’s a real beauty / a Mexican cutie / how it got here I haven’t a clue.”

He then finished up plaintively “Wasted away again in Margaritaville, Searching for my lost shaker of salt. Some people say that there’s a woman to blame. But I know / it’s my own damn fault.”

To this day when I hear it, I can’t help but smile and sing along. Putting smiles on strangers’ faces — not a bad legacy to leave.

Presidents’ Day Honors an Odd Bunch

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the February 15, 20204 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

The most humble of federal holidays falls annually on the third Monday of February. It’s commonly known as Presidents’ Day – but it technically isn’t.

In 1971 Congress passed a measure that redirected many holidays to a Monday date, so that workers could enjoy several long holiday weekends throughout the year.

As part of this bill, Washington’s Birthday (Feb. 22), which had been celebrated as a federal holiday since the 1880s, was to be renamed Presidents’ Day to also honor Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12).

After much debate the name change failed but lived on as Presidents’ Day when retailers embraced the term for monetary and commercial reasons.

This year Presidents’Day in Monday., Feb. 19.

Presidents 45 and 46 (Trump and Biden) dominate the news cycle now, but it is quite interesting to look back and consider what an odd lot these presidents have been.

There are founding fathers, scallywags, scholars, and simpletons. And, for an office so sought after, more than a few were accidental presidents. Even a few more never wanted the job in the first place.

George Washington falls into this category.

He never wanted the job but took it at the urging of the other founders. He wanted nothing more than to retire to his plantation after leading the nation to independence. It’s hard to believe now, but it is well documented that he was largely reviled as president. No wonder. He was constantly charting new territory in this strange new job, to the consternation of most at the time.

But he gave a gift to the young republic struggling to disassociate itself from the English monarchy that cannot be repaid and has been brought into sharp focus on Jan. 6, 2021. He voluntarily and peacefully gave up power after eight years in office. This astounded not only the other founders but also most U.S. citizens and the world who assumed he would rule until death.

The behavior of presidents proves there is nothing new under the sun.

John Adams served one term and was so upset about his one vote loss to Thomas Jefferson in the House of Representatives in 1800 for his second term that he skipped Jefferson’s swearing in. Sound familiar?

Besides Mr. Trump and Mr. Adams, John Quincy Adams (sixth president and John’s son) and Andrew Johnson (17^th president, Lincoln’s successor, and the first to be impeached) also skipped their successor’s inauguration. Each was a one-term president who lost a bitter re-election bid.

Then there is the enigma known as Thomas Jefferson.

He was a proud member of Virginia’s upper crust but also lived most of his life in heavy debt to the point of near poverty. He was a quintessential introvert. He wrote and reasoned brilliantly but had such a soft, unassuming voice that he struggled to be heard.

He was an eloquent defender of independence and liberty but was also an unabashed slaveholder. He was mostly aloof but was also the mentor of both Madison and Monroe, and helped usher in 28 years of what today would be called liberal Democratic policies.

Mr. Trump’s decision to run again in 2024 put him in sparce, but pretty good, company. Ex-presidents Grover Cleveland and Teddy Roosevelt ran again years after completing their terms. Cleveland (22^nd and 24^th president) actually won a second time and is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Roosevelt split his party in 1912 with the incumbent president William Howard Taft, thereby handing the presidency to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, a stuffy scholar who ignored the pandemic of the day.

The case can be made that Taft actually went on to an even better job. After his presidency ended in 1913, he eventually became chief justice of the Supreme Court, the only former president to do so. John Quincy Adams was no slouch either. He went on to serve several terms in the House after his presidency, which would be unthinkable today.

Joe Biden is a healthy 81-year-old but has surpassed the life expectancy of males in the U.S. If he were to die in office, it would be sad but not unusual. Several accidental presidents assumed office upon the death of the president.

John Tyler assumed office in 1841 upon the death of William Henry Harrison, who died after only one month in office, reportedly from pneumonia suffered after giving an exceedingly long inaugural address in bitterly cold weather.

Harry S. Truman and Andrew Johnson assumed office in similar manners, ascending after Franklin Roosevelt died just one month into his fourth term in 1945 and after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated just a month into his second term in 1865.

Millard Fillmore became president in 1850 upon the death of Zachary Taylor. Chester Arthur assumed the presidency in 1881 after James Garfield was assassinated just months into his first term. Teddy Roosevelt became president the same way, after William McKinley was shot in 1901 and lingered on for days dying excruciatingly of an infection from the bullet wounds.

Warren G. Harding died in office of a heart attack in 1923 midway through his first term propelling Calvin Coolidge to the presidency. And, Lyndon B. Johnson became president in 1963 after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Of these accidental presidents, modern day chiefs Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson all won terms of their own.

Only one incumbent president was denied the nomination of his party to run for re-election. Franklin Pierce was held in such low regard and was so inept as president that the Democratic Party in 1856 went with James Buchanan as its standard bearer instead of the sitting president.

That could not happen today. Buchanan won after all this chaos that would have shaken even the most hard-bitten of modern political operatives, and is renowned for only one thing: he was our only bachelor president.

Dwight Eisenhower was such a national hero in 1948 after leading the Allies to victory in World War II, both parties courted him to run for president. Incumbent president Harry Truman even offered to step aside if Ike would agree to run as a Democrat. Imagine that today. Instead, he waited four years and ran and won twice by landslides as a Republican.

Richard Nixon was the only president to resign the presidency, doing so in 1974 at the height of the Watergate scandal. His successor, Gerald R. Ford, was the only president not elected to either vice president or president and never wanted to be president.

Besides Ford, Jimmy Carter in 1977 may have been the most unlikely modern president. His Southern, born-again Christian and plain-folks demeanor was the perfect elixir at the time (and probably no other) for a reeling nation after Nixon resigned and was pardoned by Ford.

Modern presidents George W. Bush (2001) and Donald Trump (2017) won the presidency despite not winning the popular vote. Exhilarating or shocking, depending on your point of view, this was nothing new for the U.S.

Under the Electoral College system, five presidents have been elected despite the fact that their opponent won more popular votes. Along with Bush and Trump, John Quincy Adams won in 1824 over Andrew Jackson, who went on to win in a rematch four years later, as did Rutherford B. Hayes (1877) and Benjamin Harrison (1889) with the help of some Congressional deal-making shenanigans.

Andrew Jackson was the first president to use the power of personality to propel his ascension. He portrayed himself as the hero of the common man. He was gruff, flamboyant and downright mean at times. Again, sound familiar?

Gary Bennett of Frederick is an amateur presidential historian.

Affordable housing bills well represented in new session

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

This article appears in the February 10, 2024, issue of the Fredrick News-Post’s Opinion section.

The Affordable Housing Council of Frederick County is pleased to see there is clear recognition by the Maryland General Assembly, as evidenced by the actions it is taking, of the massive shortage of affordable housing across all of Maryland.

When the 90-day 2024 session kicked off on Jan. 10, it had prefilings over more than 800 proposed bills, many of which overlap. Of these, more than 200 deal with housing, affordable housing or related subject areas. All will be heard in committees in which Frederick County is well represented.

Despite the Affordable Housing Council’s urging, no housing-related priorities made it into the Frederick County Council’s 2024 legislative package. However, the County Council did provide several position statements supporting affordable housing initiatives and particularly the landlord/tenant “just cause” eviction notice.

The Affordable Housing Council has identified the following seven bills as important to advocate for and actively track during their monthly deliberations.

• HB3: Expedited Development Review Processes for Affordable Housing — sponsored by Del. Vaughn Stewart of Montgomery County. It requires local jurisdictions to implement an expedited development review process for affordable housing.

This bill is especially attractive since it mirrors the governor’s wish to reduce the public hearing process used to delay projects or have them narrowed and a 2024 policy priority for the local Affordable Housing Council to streamline Frederick County’s and the city of Frederick’s permitting process to accelerate affordable housing projects.

• HB7: Housing Innovation Pilot Program and Housing Innovation Fund — also sponsored by Stewart. It proposes establishing a housing innovation pilot program at Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for providing loans for local housing authorities to develop mixed-income, cross-subsidized housing.

DHCD, the primary housing authority for the state, funds or insures loans for the purchase and construction of housing for low-income families; helps low- and moderate-income families buy or rehabilitate houses; and aids nonprofit organizations with grants or loans to house the elderly, developmentally disabled and homeless.

This bill dovetails nicely with Frederick County’s stated goal for its Division of Housing to expand further into the world of housing finance by prioritizing outside funding opportunities to create and preserve affordable housing.

• HB63: Property Tax Credit for Dwelling House of Disabled Veterans — sponsored by Del. Andrew Pruski of Anne Arundel County. It provides for a tax credit for dwelling houses of disabled veterans as declared by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

• SB25: Disabled or Fallen Law Enforcement Officer or Rescue Worker Property Tax Credits — sponsored by Sen. Katherine Klausmeier of Baltimore County. It proposes a tax credit for disabled or fallen law enforcement officers or rescue workers.

• HB69: Live Where You Teach Program — sponsored by Del. Marlon Amprey of Baltimore City. It authorizes the Community Development Administration in the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development to administer a homebuyer assistance program and a rental assistance program for housing near schools where school employees want to live.

• SB90, sponsored by Sen. Antonio Hayes of Baltimore City, is proposing that $200,000 be appropriated for CDA to apply to the Live Where You Teach Program.

This bill, if passed, would only apply at this time to the school staff in Baltimore City, but the positive ramifications for teachers statewide could be huge in the future.

• HB154: Revaluation of Property on Transfer After Appeal — sponsored by the chair of the Ways and Means Committee on behalf of the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. It provides for a homeowner’s property tax credit for applications submitted within three years after April 15 of the taxable year for which the credit is sought. This means that if the assessment of the property is reduced upon appeal, the taxpayer pays the lower amount.

• HB138: Financial Literacy for All Act — also sponsored by Amprey. It proposes financial literacy requirements as part of required curriculum for students. Financial literacy is an important component for understanding prerequisites for buying, renting or financing a home.

All of these proposed bills are important building blocks for the creation, preservation or financing of affordable homes in the state of Maryland.

We are heartened that help is on the way for millions of Marylanders who can’t afford the home they need.

‘A hand up’: Frederick’s leading advocate for ending homelessness in the county talks about his program and passion

By Gary Bennett

Ken Allread, Executive Director, Advocates for Homeless Families, Frederick, MD, 2024

This article appears in the Frederick News-Post’s February 2024 issue of “Prime Time” magazine.

It’s not often you find your life’s purpose after a lifetime of work, but that’s exactly what Advocates for Homeless Families executive director Ken Allread did.

Like most of us, Allread had been concerned with the welfare of homeless families his entire life but couldn’t do much about it. Then in 2009, he got an invitation to volunteer at Advocates for Homeless Families in Frederick. Now, he has been executive director for 15 years, and his passion for the mission of this somewhat obscure Frederick nonprofit has only grown.

After retiring in 2009 from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as section chief in the budget division, Allread sat around the house for three weeks and decided it was not going to work for him. Luckily, his friend Joe Case was the current executive director at Advocates in Frederick and invited him to volunteer. “It will be fun,” Case wryly told Allread.

Although “fun” may not have been the best descriptor for the difficult work, it was certainly fulfilling. Allread took to his volunteer duties at Advocates with the same vigor he approached his paid career. In 2010, Allread was recognized as Advocates’ volunteer of the year, spending countless hours writing grants and doing other administrative tasks, freeing paid staff for other work.

In early 2011, the executive director position at Advocates became vacant when incumbent Joe Case decided to reestablish his professional contracting career in D.C. and left Advocates. Throwing caution (and perhaps a comfortable retirement) to the wind, Allread applied for and got the job in September 2011.

He was thrilled, but taking the job turned out to be a tough decision for Allread. At about this same time, his former employers at the U.S. Courts came calling. They wanted him to go to Serbia and help get that former communist country into the European Union. To do so, they would have to show a separation of powers. Allread took a leave of absence from Advocates, traveled to Serbia and helped their newly formed independent judiciary write an operating manual.

From homelessness to homeownership. One of Advocates’ families recently moved directly from temporary housing to their first home!

“They wanted me to stay in Serbia for a lot of money. But at the time, Joe [Case] was leaving and Advocates probably would have failed. So, I had a choice to make, and I chose Advocates,” Allread said.

Because of less than stellar management prior to Case coming on board, Advocates had only $20,000 in the bank. Most of the other nonprofits and foundations no longer trusted Advocates. Allread had to work hard to rebuild that goodwill. And by all indications, he has succeeded.

Advocates for Homeless Families is a valuable but somewhat hidden asset in Frederick County.

Perhaps misnamed, Advocates does much more than advocate on behalf of homeless families in Frederick. It operates two successful programs designed to keep homeless families together, off the streets, and eventually in a reliably-housed, stable, working, tax-paying situation.

Allread said he sees Advocates as a holistic program first and housing-provider second.

“The housing is just a means to an end,” he said. “We are a program and not a shelter. We want our clients to stand on their own, and we do everything we can to make that happen.”

Advocates currently owns 12 apartments and townhouses in Frederick that provide families with an alternative to life on the streets. Aptly named, the transitional housing program serves as a transition from shelters to permanent housing. It features intensive case management that can last up to two years.

During that time, families pay a housing fee of 30% of their income with a cap of $300 per month. “There are no free rides,” said Allread. “The goal is to eventually get them standing on their own and into public housing or, at least, get them Section 8 assistance.”

Receiving the highly subsidized housing requires more than just paying the fee. The program mandates education, training and support services to help families find jobs or increase earnings so they can afford to live on their own.

Keeping families together. A newly married couple from Advocates’ transitional housing program now has a gateway to a better life!

Advocates works closely with Frederick Community College and Hood College to steer clients into degree programs and trades that will provide enough money to live on. If they are accepted into a program like nursing, they can be with Advocates for up to three years.

“We support them as long as it takes to get that degree and a well-paying job. This doesn’t mean they won’t struggle along the way,” Allread said. “They do.”

All clients agree to a personalized plan and must meet monthly milestones to assess their progress. The program is successful in moving five or six families a year into permanent housing.

Allread admits there is a real need to increase Advocates’ funding so they can help more people by purchasing or renting more properties. They have a waiting list of about 60 households.

Currently, one-third of Advocates funding comes from private contributions, which includes individuals, civic organizations and businesses. One-third comes from charitable foundations and one-third comes from state and federal grants. A falloff in any of the three can really hurt.

He realizes Advocates has kept a low profile over the years but would like to change that. “We would love to have a development manager to get the word out about Advocates, but we’re just not ready financially. It is necessary. Our peers such as the Religious Coalition and Heartly House have development managers.”

Finally, Allread hopes the organization continues to expand and keep up its high success rate. He’s excited to see where Advocates goes in the future but overall, he knows the program works.

“Our operating philosophy is that we give a hand up and not a handout,” Allread said, “and we really mean it.”

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive. He is a volunteer board member for Advocates for Homeless Families.

No stopping her. Andrea, a single mother of four, has overcome homelessness and is now a full-time student at FCC and working part-time at FMH!

Strolling St. Augustine, our nation’s oldest city

By Gary Bennett

St Augustine has breathtaking Spanish colonial architecture

This article appears in the Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert, January 25, 2024.

In Frederick, we think we know old. After all, we were part of one of the original 13 colonies and have a rich pre-American Independence history.

But we don’t know old like St. Augustine, Florida knows old.

It was founded in 1565 by Pedro de Aviles, Juan Ponce de Leon and other Spanish explorers. It is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in the United States. In 2025 it will celebrate its 460^th anniversary. By comparison, Frederick County just celebrated its 275^th anniversary.

For further context, St. Augustine had already been a thriving community for about 50 years at the time English settlers first set foot at Jamestown, Virgina, and a little later, at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts.

St. Augustine sits in the northeast coast of Florida, just 15 miles south of Jacksonville on what is known as Florida’s Historic Coast. It is served by Jacksonville International Airport and is just off I-95 and Route 1. It is about a 12-hour drive from Frederick on a good traffic day.

St. Augustine attracts people from around the globe. About six million visit each year. I was pleased to hear a mix of languages and dialects as we strolled the streets.

It makes a lot of favorites lists, too. USA Today’s Reader’s Choice 2020 ranks it as “best historic small town.” Conde Naste Traveler ranks it No. 1 on its list of U.S. cities that are full of European charm.

My wife and I just returned from a short visit between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It had been on our bucket list for quite some time. We’ve been all over Florida from Jacksonville to Key West but never made time to visit St. Augustine.

I’m glad we did.

Along with its “old world” charm, St. Augustine is well known for its brick-lined streets, Spanish colonial architecture, legendary Fountain of Youth and warmth of its people. All were in ample supply during our visit.

From the moment you arrive, you’ll likely want nothing more than to walk around and take in the breathtaking Spanish architecture. Try to resist that! As cheesy as this may sound, we wholeheartedly recommend taking the on-and-off-again sightseeing trolley as soon as you can. It can’t be beat for getting the lay of the land and figuring out where you want to spend time.

In St. Augustine, the trolley costs about $40 per person, lasted for about an hour and half (if you don’t get off) and made about 20 stops all around the historic area. The trolley runs all day and you are free to get on and off at will.

History

If history is your thing, this is the place to be. The numerous American “firsts” are lovingly preserved and welcoming to locals and tourists alike.

Over 60 historic sites dot the downtown landscape including the oldest schoolhouse in America, oldest store, oldest jail and oldest public street, Aviles Street, which was also home to the first military hospital. Today, the Spanish Military Hospital Museum sits at the end of the street. The first Holy Mass in America was held in St. Augustine at the Mission Nombre de Dios—also the first Catholic mission.

You won’t want to miss a tour of Castillo de San Marcos, the large historic fort sitting on the bayfront that at one time protected St. Augustine from marauding invaders. It still stands like a sentinel dominating the skyline of St. Augustine. There’s even a moat (now dry) and a working drawbridge.

Castillo de San Marcos fort stands sentinel over St. Augustine

Not much is made of the reaction from and treatment of Native Americans when the Spanish arrived, and that is too bad. I would love to have learned more about that. There are some indications that many of the natives converted to Catholicism because of the way they were buried.

On the bright side, the Spanish rulers of St. Augustine did not allow slavery unlike their British counterparts to the north. Slaves from the British colonies ran away to St. Augustine every chance they got. There, they were free and welcomed into society. The nation’s oldest free Black community was established at Fort Mose in St. Augustine. The proud story is told at the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center.

Fountain of Youth

No visit to St. Augustine is complete without visiting the legendary Fountain of Youth. I’m happy to report this is not the tourist trap you may think it is. The grounds of the Fountain of Youth mark the location of the Native American Timucua village of Seloy and the first settlement of St. Augustine. Extensive archeological work in the 20^th century proved this.

The Fountain grounds are now a national park with several acres of exhibits and demonstrations to enjoy. The best features, however, are the impeccably recreated village structures that shed light on Native American life at the time of Spanish settlement.

The Spanish Watchtower, mission church, Ponce de Leon Landing Memorial and canon firing demonstrations are all highlights of the park. The Fountain itself is underwhelming but a good spot for photos. We drank from the Fountain, but I can attest it did not work.

Nights of Lights

If you visit St. Augustine any time between mid-November and late January, you’ll enjoy Nights of Lights. At this annual event, three million twinkling lights adorn every corner of the downtown historic area. A 30- to 40-minute walk will allow you to take in all the splendor. Nights of Lights was named one of the ten best holiday lighting displays in the world by National Geographic Traveler. I highly recommend it.

St George Street Pedestrian Mall

Begin at the Old City Gate and stroll along narrow but charming St. George Street for several blocks to find unique gifts and antiques at boutiques and vintage shops along the way. Numerous cafes and restaurants beckon you inside with their pungent, sweet, salty and savory scents. We recommend Harry’s or Meehan’s to quell your munchies.

At the end of the street, you’ll be treated with the Plaza de la Constitucion, the striking town square established in 1573. Now, it pays homage to the Spanish constitution of 1812 with a monument that is believed to be the only one to a constitution remaining in the world.

Henry Flagler

If you spend any time at all in St. Augustine, you’ll hear the name Henry Flagler over and over again. Flagler was a wealthy New York oil baron who saw the possibilities of St. Augustine before anyone else. In the late 1800s, he helped build a railroad from New York to Florida, ushering in its thriving tourism industry. His name adorns the city’s college, several beautiful hotels and the Lightner Museum, which holds an extensive array of Gilded Age artifacts.

Beaches

St. Augustine lies inland across the impressive Bridge of Lions from Anastasia Island and the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean beaches like sandy St. Augustine Beach and tranquil Crescent Beach await you. Farther south, Anastasia State Park is a protected wildlife sanctuary and includes the gorgeous St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. Both are worthy of a few hours of your time.
Accommodations

St. Augustine sports a wide range of accommodations for every taste and budget. From hotels with suites to condos for large families, bed and breakfasts, camp grounds and budget motels, you will have no trouble finding exactly what you need. My wife and I opted for a budget motel within walking distance of the beach so we could watch the sun rise over Florida’s Historic Coast and then shuttle over to St. Augustine. It doesn’t get much better than that.

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum

Working to ensure everyone has a decent place to live

By Gary Bennett and Hugh Gordon

This article appears in the January 2024 issues of the Emmitsburg News-Journal, p 25, and Woodsboro-Walkersville News-Journal, page 21.

Among the many boards, commissions and councils serving Frederick city and county, there is one that advises on the charged issue of affordable housing.

Charged? Well, yes. It is hard to find another issue that elicits such visceral comments both for and against. Most folks support the availability of housing for those economically shut out of the market until it affects them directly. Everyone is for more affordable housing until they think it might affect their own property value or when construction is planned nearby. It is understandable.

That is the tightrope on which the Affordable Housing Council (AHC) is perched.

The AHC serves as Frederick County’s main forum to discuss affordable housing issues, is the main advocate for affordable, safe, and decent housing, supports affordable housing providers and their programs, and advises county and city governments on promising new and existing affordable housing laws and regulations. The council is comprised of appointed volunteers who care about affordable housing issues and have no personal stake in encouraging more affordable housing.

Position Statement of AHC

The Affordable Housing Council believes that:

All Frederick County residents deserve to live in safe, decent, and affordable housing that does not require more than one-third of their total monthly income to own or rent.
County, state, and municipal governments should look for every opportunity to incentivize affordable housing options in land use, zoning, and development laws and regulations.
All stakeholders – government entities, developers, builders, real estate firms, civic and business groups, and consumers of affordable housing – need to recognize that a lack of affordable housing is a real problem for all of us and should work together to find real solutions.
The lack of enough infrastructure to support increased housing is a real problem and should not be downplayed. Instead of punishing middle- and lower-class Americans, however, we must hold government accountable to proactively fund appropriate infrastructure, especially schools.

What is affordable housing?

The definition of affordable housing is not always accurately understood, especially in terms of today’s charged political discussion. To those with moderate to low incomes, affordable housing is usually defined as housing that requires one-third or less of their disposable income to afford. This includes rentals and owned homes. For these folks, there is not enough affordable housing to go around in Frederick County and in most parts of the U.S. In the affordable housing world, we are typically focused on the ALICE households, those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. Basically, they are working citizens living paycheck to paycheck.

Policy Priorities of AHC

The Affordable Housing Council has been quite successful in developing housing priorities and encouraging elected officials to give them fair consideration. Indeed, both the city’s Board of Aldermen and the Frederick County Council, depend on the AHC to be non-staff housing experts. We are constantly looking for creative ideas to help increase our affordable housing stock.

Earlier this year, we recommended and were pleased when the Board of Aldermen approved the updated Moderately Priced Development Units (MPDU) ordinance. The ordinance encourages increased development of affordable housing in the city by requiring developers to pay $2 per square foot for every unit in the development if they opt out of building the required number of MPDUs. The fee had been flat but is now pegged to the size of the units in the development. The city is then charged with using the proceeds from the ordinance to fund affordable housing programs. The change in the city’s ordinance brings it into synch with the county’s MPDU ordinance.

Other AHC policy priorities we will advocate for in 2024 include:

Updating the 2016 Frederick County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment report to better reflect current housing and economic realities and to develop a strategic plan to address the findings. Such an assessment and plan would guide county and city programs and resources to better serve residents in need of affordable housing.

Increasing the portion of the county’s recordation tax revenue that is earmarked for the housing initiative fund (HIF) in one-time increments and consider permanent changes to the formula that funds the initiative. The HIF is used to provide resources that make home ownership accessible to county residents.

Supporting the implementation of the City of Frederick’s rental registration and inspection program. The program provides for protection of renters’ rights and landlord and tenant education on renters’ rights and best practices.

Advocating for the inclusion of several key policies in the City of Frederick’s form-based code initiative: implementing an affordable housing overlay, waiving development fees for projects that meet certain income requirements, allowing for more density and building height in designated areas and right-sizing parking requirements for new projects.

Streamlining Frederick County’s and the City of Frederick’s permitting processes to accelerate affordable housing projects. A particular need is to increase staff capacity and use a customer service-based approach to incentivize and encourage affordable housing projects.

Encouraging the implementation of area plans as part of the Livable Frederick Master Plan to include priorities such as implementing an affordable housing overlay, allowing more density in designated areas, aligning available public transportation with affordable housing developments, and encouraging municipalities in the county to allow construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Waiving or deferring impact fees in Frederick County and the City of Frederick charged to buyers that meet income requirements for affordable housing purchases from a developer. Further, City of Frederick should formalize the waiving of property taxes and impact fees for developers while they are building or renovating homes for sale or rent to residents meeting income requirements for affordable housing.

Hugh Gordon serves as the current chair of the Affordable Housing Council. He commented, “The need for affecting implementation and the potential for assisting seniors, school teachers, policemen, firefighters, restaurant workers, and the most vulnerable residents of Frederick County is critically important.”

According to Malcolm Furgol, vice-chair of the AHC and policy committee chair, “These policy priorities build on past recommendations by the Affordable Housing Council and progress made by Frederick County and the City of Frederick towards realizing a positive environment for safe, stable and affordable housing for all residents.”

Invitation to Participate

The issues are difficult but the stakes are high for all of us. The Frederick County Affordable Housing Council invites you to participate.

AHC meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2:30 pm at a location designated by the Council. Confirm meeting dates and location by checking https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/6371/Affordable-Housing-Council or by calling the Frederick County Department of Housing and Community Development at 301-600-6091.

Meetings are open to the public and public participation is highly encouraged. Agendas can be obtained at the website noted above. Public comment is welcome at all meetings.

If you are a Frederick County resident, a registered voter and wish to become a member of the AHC, send a letter of interest and resume to fcgboards@FrederickCountyMD.gov. Call 301-600-1102 for more information. The County Executive makes all appointments subject to confirmation by the County Council.

The AHC may be comprised of as many as 13 voting members. We currently have seven members and two very good prospects. We are working hard to ensure affordable housing consumers such as teachers, police officers, and seniors are represented on the Council as well as members of industry, nonprofit organizations, and the public in general.

Gary Bennett is a retired association executive with no stake in the housing market except for being a concerned citizen. Hugh Gordon is the association executive for the Frederick Association of Realtors and has decades of experience as a mortgage banker. They are long-time Frederick residents and members of Frederick’s Affordable Housing Council.