Despite recent anti-DEI efforts by the Trump administration to downplay the roles of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in American history, five new sites in Maryland have been listed in the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. That brings to 97 the number of Maryland sites associated with Tubman and others … Continue reading Despite Trump’s attempt to whitewash history, five new sites are added to the Underground Railroad network
Leaving Saigon: A Baltimore Sun correspondent looks back 50 years to the final days of the Vietnam War
Arnold "Skip" Isaacs was among correspondents who covered the Vietnam War for The Baltimore Sun. He was there 50 years ago this week when Saigon fell, bringing an end to the long U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia. The massive and chaotic U.S. helicopter evacuation began on April 29, 1975, and North Vietnamese forces took … Continue reading Leaving Saigon: A Baltimore Sun correspondent looks back 50 years to the final days of the Vietnam War
Nothin’ wild about fishing for stocked trout
You can see from the photograph with this post that the young man in waders, my son Nick, is fly-fishing for trout in the traditional, usually productive way -- nymphing or stripping a streamer through a fairly deep run along a bank in a freestone river. He's fishing a spot that looks fishy. Such a … Continue reading Nothin’ wild about fishing for stocked trout
Tinned dinner: Yes, you can
Tinned fish has become a thing in American cuisine -- mainly because of the nutritional values of the types of fish that end up in cans. Sardines, for instance, are a good source of selenium, a mineral that acts as an antioxidant and produces glutathione, another antioxidant, according to the pre-DOGE National Institutes of Health. … Continue reading Tinned dinner: Yes, you can
Lyrics: Ballad of the Baltimore Bridge
While the lyrics to the "Ballad of the Baltimore Bridge" appear as captions in our music video, several people have asked that they be published separately. So here they are. Thanks to everyone for the interest in this song and for all the supportive comments we received on its release. If you know anyone who … Continue reading Lyrics: Ballad of the Baltimore Bridge
A Bridge Too Far in Western Maryland; the fight for hemlocks and history continues
In the far western corner of Maryland, Steve Storck (photo above) keeps fighting for the old hemlocks in Swallows Falls State Park. As I reported a couple of months ago, the plan to replace a single-lane bridge over the Youghiogheny River, near the entrance to the park, with a wider parallel span would cut into … Continue reading A Bridge Too Far in Western Maryland; the fight for hemlocks and history continues
Save these trees: Swallow Falls and a bridge too far
Joan Maloof, founder of the Old Growth Forest Network, has joined the fight to keep the state of Maryland from allowing Garrett County to cut potentially 300 trees (and possibly more) in public lands at Swallow Falls State Park to build a new bridge across the Youghioghgeny River. Says Joan: "We don’t have enough staff … Continue reading Save these trees: Swallow Falls and a bridge too far
Helene: A deadly, destructive hurricane … and wedding crasher (photos)
Here’s the lede of my Oct. 11 column in The Sun: The wedding had been planned for the 28th day of September at Old Sherrill’s Inn, about 12 miles outside Asheville, in the mountains of North Carolina. Iris Spik and Chris Chu had invited 94 relatives and friends to celebrate their marriage. Guests came from … Continue reading Helene: A deadly, destructive hurricane … and wedding crasher (photos)
Honor among hunters, or jealousy?
My weekend Sun column describes how a Maryland Natural Resources Police officer determined that a large antlered deer had been taken out of season -- killed in Frederick County with a gunshot during the archery season. In some ways, it's a case of Guilty But Mostly Stupid because the poacher bragged about his kill, posing … Continue reading Honor among hunters, or jealousy?
Ed Darwin: ‘You must be able to think like a fish’
Ed Darwin, who died early Sunday at age 93, was widely known in Chesapeake fishing circles as a knowledgeable and successful charter boat captain for more than 50 years. As I note in my Friday Sun column, he had an engineer’s mind and applied a kind of mystical science to the sport. My column serves … Continue reading Ed Darwin: ‘You must be able to think like a fish’
Dan Rodricks 