Gary Bennett

Go For the Good, Frederick

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the April 11, 2024 issue of the Frederick News-Post’s entertainment insert, “72 Hours.”

Does the never ending political rancor of the day have you down? Other than turning off Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, I have the perfect antidote for you – volunteering!

There are so many human needs out there, and let’s face it, government can never hope to serve them all, nor should it. That’s where we come in. Endless opportunities await you in Frederick County and beyond, if you have a sincere desire to make a difference.

I know what you’re thinking: “I’d like to volunteer but I just don’t have the time” …or maybe “I don’t know where to start.” If you live here but work in Montgomery County or Washington D.C., you may have a very good point on the first issue. I’ve been there, too. After three or four hours of roundtrip commuting piled on top of your work day, there is little time left for much more than dinner, TV and bedtime. No one can blame you for not getting involved.

But, I’m here to tell you that most volunteer organizations will happily take as much or as little time as you can spare. I can assure you that two hours spent volunteering once a week will feel much better to you than those two hours spent watching TV.

Actually, volunteering just two hours per week would make you a super volunteer. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency, Americans who volunteer average about one hour per week doing so. And, there are a lot of us volunteers. Seventy-seven million adults in the U.S., or about one in three, volunteer in some capacity in 2017.

As for not being sure about where to start, I can help you there, too.

Like to walk or run? Why not help out with an annual 5K or 10K walk/run to benefit a local health-related charity? There are too many to make a comprehensive list so I’ll mention just two: the annual Walk
MS: Frederick will be held April 13 at Fredrick High School was held May 4 at Harry Grove Stadium to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society and people with MS Relay for Life on May 17 and 18 at Frederick Community College benefiting the American Cancer Society and celebrating cancer survivors. Organizations like these always need volunteers to set up, tear down, mark the course, serve refreshments, or to simply cheer on the participants.

Like to clean? Believe it or not this activity is therapeutic for some people including ones like me who sit behind a desk all day. If so, why not volunteer for the annual Bring a Broom Saturday event on April 27 to help clean up downtown Frederick and ready it for tourist season. Sponsored by the Downtown Frederick Partnership, this event is perfect for those of us who burst with pride for downtown Frederick and want it to look its best.

Similar to that event but available on an ongoing basis is the State Highway Administration’s Adopt a Highway program. Since that program started in 1989, 120,000 Marylanders have cleaned over 15,000 miles of roadside. If either of these programs seems a little daunting, you can bet your local homeowners association will have a cleanup day. If not, start one!

Can you speak, write, and read English reasonably well? The Literacy Council of Frederick County is always in need of English tutors. This activity is typically accomplished one-on-one with one or two students and only takes a few hours per week. The staff at the Literacy Council makes it extremely easy to be a tutor. They will train you over two Saturdays and provide all the materials you will need and a step-by-step lesson plan. If you are interested, contact Holly Bohman or Jennifer Szabo at the Council. I can tell you firsthand that being an English tutor is an amazingly rewarding experience.

Can you make more of a commitment? If so, I can recommend any of Frederick’s venerable service clubs. Each has a little different focus, but all are committed to making Frederick County a better place to live and work. For example, the FSK Lions Club, to which I belong, focuses on eye health but also gets involved in many other things such as childhood cancer, diabetes, environmental issues and hunger. Besides the Lions Club, there are the Elks,
Kiwanis, Moose, Knights of Columbus, Jaycees, Boys and Girls Club, Frederick Women’s Civic Club, and Rotary Clubs, to name a few. Take a look online at what they do and arrange a visit. They will be happy to see you and will probably invite you to dinner.

Do you have aging parents and care deeply about the Greatest Generation and other seniors? Then reach out to the Frederick Senior Center. They sponsor fitness classes, arts and crafts, health information programs and other special events. They also serve up a nice lunch and support Meals on
Wheels. You could also reach out to Hospice of Frederick County, which helps to ensure a gentle passage through the final phase of life. Volunteers can work with terminally ill patients and their families to offer companionship, respite care and other services such as light housekeeping, running errands or pet care.

Want to make sure no one goes hungry? The City of Frederick and the Frederick Community Action Agency needs volunteers to help serve meals at the Community Table and to help gather and stock food items at the Food Bank You’ll be in good company. Collecting, distributing, preparing, and serving food is the No. 1 area of volunteerism in America.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. National organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, and United Way all have numerous local opportunities to help with housing, emergency relief and other human needs. Youth sports leagues need coaches, refs and other helpers. And don’t forget about local churches, volunteer fire associations, hospitals and libraries. All want and need your talents.

I highly recommend volunteermatch.org. Just plug in your zip code and they will serve up to you weekly all the close-in volunteer opportunities for you to consider.

An April Fools’ Day primer

By Gary Bennett

Gary as a hairy, unemployed biker. Airport security wanted this picture. I made their day.

This article appears in the Thursday, March 25 edition of the Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

Another April Fools’ Day is upon us, and it couldn’t have come at a better time! What? Have you not watched the news lately?

This great American un-holiday features trickery, monkeyshines, hoaxes, shenanigans and hijinks. Why April Fools’ Day is not a federal holiday, I’ll never understand.

April Fools’ Day comes on April 1 each year. No one quite knows why.

Some think it is connected to the vernal equinox, where Mother Nature fools us by changing weather from hot to cold every other day. One thing is for certain, however: Perpetrators must holler “April Fools!” at the end of the joke to clue in the unsuspecting party.

Though the day has purportedly been celebrated for centuries by different cultures, its exact origin remains a mystery. Some historians trace it back to ancient Rome and the appropriately-named festival of Hilaria. Others peg it to medieval France, when some fools couldn’t get the days straight on the newly created Gregorian calendar. (That’s actually pretty harsh. Can you imagine changing calendars today? We get grumpy just turning our clocks back one hour.)

The Brits ran with the concept in the 1700s, often sending people on phony cuckoo bird hunts. Later came “Tailie Day,” which involved pranks such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on unsuspecting back ends.

My family must have lots of English blood. I can vividly remember my unsuspecting mother, who worked overnight at a Celanese plant in the 1970s, coming home with a fibery tail pinned to her derriere seemingly every morning.

My own grandchildren got in on the fun, too, by taping a “kick me” sign to my backside before a trip to the mall. Of course, I knew about it, but that didn’t stop me from playing along and listening to the heartwarming giggles as we strolled along.

The classic April Fools’ jokes of covering the toilet with plastic wrap or swapping the contents of sugar and salt containers are all well and good, but I would like you to think bigger.

To motivate you, here are some of the large-scale, classic April Fools’ jokes executed in recent history. They deserve our solemn respect.

• Swiss TV covered farm workers’ record spaghetti crop, complete with video of people harvesting the noodles from trees.

• George Plimpton reported on a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a ball 168 miles per hour

• An actor portraying Richard Nixon near the end of his life in 1992 announced he was running for president again, to the horror of everyone.

• Taco Bell announced they were purchasing the Liberty Bell and renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell.

• MIT engineering students dismantled the dean’s car and reassembled it on the administration building roof.

•••

Not to be outdone, I am happy to relate my own efforts.

Before I do, please note that I am always happy to be the butt of the joke if it embarrasses someone else, preferably my good-natured but long-suffering wife. Also note that shenanigans don’t have to occur on Aprils Fools’ Day, but it helps!

For years, we have vacationed with very good friends in Florida. My buddy and I like to drive, while my wife and his wife prefer to fly. As good and faithful husbands, we always promise to pick them up at the airport, and we do.

For some odd reason that probably dates to my childhood, I delight in dressing up in outrageous costumes to meet my wife and her friend at the airport. I typically have a sign welcoming them to Florida and meet them with exuberant jolliness, much to their chagrin.

The looks on their faces are priceless as I stand in the welcoming line when they emerge from airport security. There is nowhere to hide. Pretending to not know me doesn’t work either. They are putty in my hands.

I have shown up at airports as the following:

• an Italian playboy in short shorts and a jaunty hat

• a cool hippie dude

• an extremely overweight and uncool tourist

• an unemployed biker.

Pro tip, if you are thinking of trying this yourself: Notify airport security before you change into your getup in the men’s restroom. They’re usually not amused, but it’s the right thing to do.

If you’re wondering about my buddy, no, he won’t dress up. But to his credit, he doesn’t try to talk me out of it.

Unfortunately, the cat’s out of the bag for me now, and I’m forced to be more creative. After years of happily flying without me, my wife now begs me to fly with her. If that fails, she has taken to searching the car for suspicious clothing before I depart.

Little does she know, I have costumers up and down the East Coast who are awaiting my call.

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.

Gary as the woefully out-of-place, jaunty European tourist, Armando.

Frederick woman’s MS diagnosis inspires her to help others

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the Health & Fitness section of the Frederick News-Post, March 26, 2024.

Frederick resident Robin Brown remembers getting her multiple sclerosis diagnosis like it was yesterday. It hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks.

“I woke up one Saturday morning — it was April 26, 2008; I was 47 years old — and felt a tingling on my left side. I’d never felt anything like it before. Because a dear childhood friend had just survived two brain aneurisms, I got scared and took myself to the ER.”

Once there, she endured an MRI of her brain and spine. The neurologist on call delivered the bad news that she “probably” had MS.

Since MS is notoriously challenging to diagnose, she soon found herself at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for what she hoped would be a reversal of the initial diagnosis. She got the requisite lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap), which was frightening in its own right, and when the proteins came back positive for MS, the diagnosis was official.

“It was shocking,” Brown said. “No one in my family has it. My mother has rheumatoid arthritis, so I thought it may be that. The doctors ruled out other auto-immune disorders first such as Lyme disease and lupus. It only took four months to get my diagnosis, and that’s not normal. It usually takes a lot longer.”

Robin Brown and her “peeps” bring awareness to MS, raise funds and support each other.

WHAT IS MS?

Multiple sclerosis is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells in the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord, called the myelin sheath. It causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. It is potentially disabling and affects nearly 1 million Americans.

Doctors don’t know why this happens. It is not necessarily genetic, environmental or due to the actions of the patients. Some studies show it may be a virus that can be contracted as a teen and remains dormant until later in life, but nothing has been conclusive.

Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely between patients and depend on the location and severity of nerve fiber damage in the central nervous system. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently. Other individuals may experience long periods of remission with no new symptoms.

There is currently no cure, but treatments are available to help speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

GETTING TO WORK

There is a bright side to Brown’s harrowing diagnosis.

In characteristic fashion, she threw herself immediately into the fight to find a cure. She was diagnosed in 2008 and began her association with the National MS Society the next year, where she’s been a valuable fundraiser and leader ever since.

To help find a cure and support those with MS, Brown is active in the MS Society’s main worldwide fundraiser, Walk MS.

“Walk MS brings us together,” she said. “I love that it gives me the opportunity to make others aware. It helps me feel not so alone. When I was diagnosed, I felt very alone.”

Walk MS is an event held in hundreds of cities throughout the world where the MS community, including supporters and loved ones, come together to walk, run or bike in support of those living with MS and raise funds to help find a cure.

Everyone is welcome to participate. There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum. While there is no fee to participate, every dollar raised helps those living with MS and their supporters. Since its inception in 1988, Walk MS has raised more than $1 billion to help people with MS and their caregivers.

According to Brown, the funds don’t all go to science. Some are used for critical but sometimes overlooked things, like respite care for caregivers, walking devices or vehicles that are wheelchair accessible.

“I do this for everybody, and, of course, it could be me one day that needs these things.”

WALK MS FREDERICK

Frederick’s next Walk MS event begins at 9 a.m. April 13 at Frederick High School. The day starts with a snack, sponsor booths, photos and an official ceremony.

At 10 a.m., participants start walking on the site’s supported and accessible routes, winding their way through Baker Park and back to Frederick High. There is a 3-mile route and a 1-mile route for those not quite as ambitious. The route is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. The event concludes at noon.

New attractions this year include the Center for People Living with MS and Circles of Support. The Center provides information about the MS Society programs and resources, including self-help groups and navigators. Individuals living with MS also receive swag items there.

Circles of Support provides complimentary hand-held circles to use during the opening ceremony: yellow for those who support the mission to cure MS, green for those who love or care for someone with MS and orange for those who live with MS. The waving signs are sure to be a memorable scene at the event.

Since recent COVID-19 restrictions have been detrimental to the Frederick walk, Brown has been asked to help rejuvenate this year’s event. Her role is to be a powerhouse fundraiser and key awareness advocate for the society and walk. She has done so for many years. She heads up a team affectionately known as Robin’s Peeps, a group of 10 to 12 team members who bring awareness to MS, raise funds and support each other.

In 2023, Frederick’s MS Walk raised about $62,000 and had 295 participants. Brown and her team raised $15,000 of this total and was the top team in Frederick. Brown personally raised $13,475 of the $15,000, which ranked her No. 157 in the nation, out of more than 100,000 participants.

The goal for the 2024 Walk is to have more than 350 participants and raise $67,000. The Greater D.C.-Maryland chapter, of which Brown is a member, aims to raise $1.2 million this year during their 10 Walk MS events in Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia.

LIVING WITH MS

Brown does all this even though she has been one of the lucky ones whose symptoms have not progressed over the years. She doesn’t take this good fortune for granted. She leads an active life and works full-time as an associate agent in a busy insurance office.

“I know how lucky I am. I found the correct neurologist for me, and together we chose the correct treatment,” she said. “I use a medication called Rebif, which is injected three times a week. I am faithful to it, and it’s worked well for me. I’ve been on that same treatment since September 2008, and it has held everything at bay.”

Brown also credits her support system as key to her success. She counts support from her husband, mother, sister, other family members and countless friends as immeasurable.

“It is support for which I never have to ask. I attribute my success to working hard to manage my MS and to this unwavering support.”

Her deceased father also plays a surprisingly key role.

“My dad, who passed away in ’22, was always amazed about my attitude toward MS. He used to say that I have such a positive attitude that it’s never going to beat me. I hold on to that. It’s almost as if I just don’t want to let him down.”

Brown also co-leads a local peer support group called Messy Friends, with Dee Walter, a fellow MS warrior. The group allows folks to know they are not alone. They serve as a resource to provide information and share individual experiences.

“We Messy Friends don’t know everything, but we usually have access to information that’s helpful,” she said.

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.