Regulars (Where We Live by Steve Carr)

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 3/15/12

Sailing thru Storms and Doldrums

On Leg 4, the Volvo Ocean Racers leave China and head to New Zealand

When we last checked on The Volvo Ocean Race, 13 days from Abu Dhabi to China had ended with a tacking duel that pushed the exhausted crews to their limits. Leg 4 begins in Sanya Bay, homeport last-place boat, and ends in Auckland, New Zealand. Race leader Telefónica had sailed to victory in the first three distance legs of the Volvo Ocean Race. But the Spanish boat stalled in the in-port races, often finishing last. This time, skipper Iker Martinez powered to a 41-second...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 9/1/11

We Live Atop Lost Cities and Civilizations

Pig Point is our newest Lost Town — and our oldest link to history

Anne Arundel County’s newest Lost Town is Pig Point, a prehistoric Indian village near Jug Bay on the Patuxent River. Archaeologist Jane Cox and her Lost Towns Project colleagues realized they were on to something pretty wild as soon as they started excavating the long-forgotten site. Digging down through the layers of several fire pits, they encountered trash going back almost 10,000 years. That makes this one of the region’s oldest uncovered sites. ...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 5/12/11

The Severn River Association’s First Century

It takes many years to save a river

It seems odd, but the Severn River Association is the oldest group in the United States dedicated to the preservation of a river. You’d figure that honor would fall to some group affiliated with John Muir. On April 29, 1911, 32 wealthy white men from Baltimore who owned summer homes along the Severn River got together and started the Severn River Association. Their primary mission was to stock the river with fish, prevent watermen from poaching and upgrade Ritchie...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 4/21/11

Fear the Turtle

Riparian rights have wronged a number of Bay critters

Turning a big ship around takes time, a lot of time. Right after World War II, many people living along the waters of the Chesapeake Bay began building bulkheads to prevent their shorelines from washing away. The state even encouraged this by offering homeowners free loans to harden their shorelines. A smiling fellow named Leonard Casanova showed up on our doorstep one summer day way back in the early 70s and announced that he was from the Department of...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 3/31/11

Who Will Stop the Rain?

As it stands, God is responsible for anything beyond two inches of stormwater runoff

Every time it rains hard around Annapolis, all hell breaks loose. Mud goes streaming into a creek or streams. Citizen watchdogs start barking. They call the mayor’s office and complain that dirt is running off this or that property, usually a development site. State law requires developers to control the first inch of rain that falls on their property during a 24-hour period. Expensive control measures are required so that no sediment leaves the site. ...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 1/6/11

20 Questions about the Bay’s New Cleanup Plan

With these plain English answers, you’ll know as much as the experts (Of course nobody knows if it will work)

There have been a lot of headlines lately about how we’re finally going to start cleaning up Chesapeake Bay. Most feature the non-word TMDL. Q What is this TMDL thing that everyone keeps talking about? A TMDL stands for Total Maximum Daily Load. It’s a fancy phrase for measuring and establishing limits on what’s polluting the Bay, specifically nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment. The primary sources of nitrogen and phosphorous are sewage treatment plants, farms and stormwater...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 11/25/10

Beating a Path Through Open Space

What do we save and what do we sacrifice?

Saving the Last Farm on the Magothy, my November 4 column, brought lots of interesting mail that sent me down a broader path through the Preservation Woods. Lucy Illif, who owns one of the few remaining farms in Arnold, reminded me that the Jordan Property next to Ritchie Highway has just been rezoned commercial and that the whole area is being swallowed up by houses and shopping malls. “Will our farm now be the last one in Arnold?” she wondered. This opened up an old wound for me....

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 11/4/10

Last Farm on the Magothy

Survival of Spriggs Farm is touch and go

There aren’t many farms left once you head north from Annapolis. The Spriggs Farm on the Magothy River is part of a dying breed. With its sweeping views of Dobbins Island and bird-draped, saltwater tidal pond, it’s a one-of-a-kind place. According to legend, Ulmstead Point, its promontory, was the site of feasts between the Indian tribes of western Maryland and Gibson’s Island. Touring the farm with Jack Neil, trustee of Spriggs Farm Preservation Foundation, a group of...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 10/7/10

Putting Wind In Your Sails, Power In Your Engine

The U.S. Boat Shows are a wondrous spectacle like nothing else in the world

Folks around Annapolis have for years debated the differences between sail boaters and power boaters. Every October, the annual United States Sailboat and Powerboat Shows intensify the debate by bringing thousands of both to town back to back. Sail boaters take over Annapolis October 7 to 11. The sailboat show draws the Topsiders crew with their bright foul weather gear and sporty sunglasses on a string. Sailing is more cerebral and tactical. It’s serious business, and everyone has...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 8/5/10

Call It What You Will, We’re All Sweating

The big picture is warming up

Where are all the talk show hosts, conservative pundits, and global warming naysayers who were crowing incessantly this past winter when it was snowing like no tomorrow? Back in February, as we shoveled out from underneath one snowstorm after another, we heard all about how climate change was a left-wing lie. Ron Smith, the WBAL talk show host, poked fun at the ongoing weather crisis every day for months — ignoring the fact that when all was said and done, the winter of 2010 was one of...