15 minute read
Baltimore
from May 2022
JIM BURGER
TALK OF THE BAY
On the Desk / On the Bow
Remembering Ernie Imho
by Rafael Alvarez
The other night, reading in my bunk by the glare of a drop light, I came across something curious in American Sea Writing: A Literary Anthology, published in 2000 by the Library of America. The information, new to me, addressed two ardent, entwined passions: the written word and the bounding main. It came from a story by the celebrated New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell (19081996) called The Bottom of the Harbor, the title essay of the author’s 1959 collection of Gotham maritime tales.
Wrote Mitchell of the mossbunker, better known as menhaden, “[It’s] a factory fish; it is converted into an oil that is used…[in] printing inks, which is why some newspapers have a fishy smell on damp days.” (So, the news is fishy even before the guy at Lexington Market wraps it around your rockfish!)
It reminded me of my friend and longtime newspaper colleague Ernie Imhoff, who died this past December at age 84. Alongside the sea anthology lay Good Shipmates, Imhoff’s detailed account of the restoration of the SS John W. Brown Liberty ship. At the front of the book, Imhoff writes of crossing the Atlantic after college in 1958 on the SS Groote Beer and the spell cast by “a dome of the sky showed a wider blueness by day and
that is used…[in] printing inks, which is why some newspapers have a fishy smell on damp days.” (So, the news is fishy even Market wraps it around your rockfish!) longtime newspaper colleague Ernie Imhoff, who died this past December at age 84. Alongside the sea anthology lay account of the restoration of the SS John W. Brown front of the book, Imhoff writes of crossing the Atlantic after college in 1958 on the SS spell cast by “a dome of the sky
brighter Milky Way at night. The sea changed color—dark blue, green, black, white or gray. The salty wind was exhilarating.”
Such prose, worthy of Mitchell, made me wish Ernie had never become an editor. Much beloved by those he worked with for 40 years at The Evening Sun on Calvert Street in Baltimore, Imhoff joined the paper in the autumn of 1963, covering the space program. One of his last assignments before being named city editor at the paper of Mencken and Schoettler was the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
In the wake of the big shots’ decision to bury the paper, Imhoff served as the last managing editor of The Evening Sun in 1995. The staff merged with the morning paper and Ernie worked as the paper’s ombudsmen. One of his columns was headlined “We Fix Misteaks.” He retired in 1999 after filing more than 2,000 bylines: Ernest F. Imhoff. The statistic is as close to accurate as possible because Ernie was an obsessive counter of all he did.
“My father counted everything,” said Jennifer Imhoff Foley of Bowdoinham, Maine. “He counted how many banana breads he made for friends and family, every lap he swam in the pool, every step he ran up and down in Bolton Hill” where he and his wife Hilda Klingaman raised their family.
He also covered opera and nonprofits after the demise of The Evening Sun. One of the latter was Project Liberty Ship, the now 44-year campaign to resuscitate and sustain the Brown. Imhoff was smitten, volunteered and earned his ordinary seaman’s papers from the Coast Guard. “He wanted his connection to the Brown to be authentic,” said his son Peter Imhoff of Baltimore.
Ernie wrote that the Brown was “hustled together” in 56 days and launched on September 7, 1942 from Bethlehem Steel’s Fairfield yard. Identical to 2,710 other Liberty Ships that supplied troops and supplies to the Allies during World War II, she is one of two that remain operational. (The other is the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, which
docks in San Francisco.) The first Liberty Ship to slide down the rails was the SS Patrick Henry, scrapped the year Ernie graduated from Williams College with a degree in German literature. The last one built, the SS Albert M. Boe, is a fish cannery docked in Kodiak, Alaska. Another was named for Harriet Tubman. The SS John W. Brown is currently docked on the Canton waterfront. “It lives today,” wrote Imhoff. “The fancy Cunard Queens never last nearly so long.” “As much as Dad loved journalism, he SSJOHNWBROWN.ORG never wanted the end of his career to be the end of his working life. He always had to have one more thing going on.” said Foley, who took her sons on the Brown one afternoon for a trip to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and back. The ship began steaming under her own power again—for the first time in 45 years—in 1991. Added Peter, “My father’s fascination with the Brown stemmed from his love of adventure, his love of history, and his interest in telling the stories of people’s lives. As far back as I can remember, he was transfixed by stories of people battling the elements—mountains, weather, or seas.” An adept climber, Imhoff summited 65 mountains of 4,000 feet or more across New England, particularly throughout the Berkshires around his childhood home of Williamstown, Massachusetts. At the top of each, he rewarded himself with a tin of sardines.
Brian Hope, a retired Chesapeake Bay pilot and artist, was the first chairman of Project Liberty Ship. Hope put together the team that towed the Brown to Baltimore in 1983 from the James River “dead fleet” in Virginia and painted the image of the ship that graces the cover of Imhoff’s book. Asked if Ernie was a natural seaman, the 78-year-old captain said, “He was a natural talker.”
The comment isn’t a slight. Ernie’s documentarian skills served the Brown as well, or better, than his ability to handle lines. Good Shipmates is a Studs Terkel-worthy oral history of dozens of men who served in World War II and united in salvaging the vessel. “Ernie made a determined effort to interview and get stories from all of the crew members,” said Hope. “There weren’t many he missed.”
Some 16 million American men
and women served their country during World War II. About 300,000 of them remain, most between the ages of 90 and 100, with more than 350 passing away each day.
While chipping rust or painting a bulkhead side-by-side with one of the old salts who brought the Brown back to life, Ernie became fascinated with their lives and their stories, catching up with them in the crew mess over coffee, “tilting his head to the right and start taking notes,” said Foley of her father’s style. “He was a good listener,” said Peter. “People trusted him with their stories.”
The ancient verity is that once you’re dead, you can’t take it with you. But that’s not entirely true. When people die, they take their stories with them, never again to be asked, “Hey, remember that time?” It’s worse than a library burning down; there are no copies.
Rafael Alvarez worked on the City Desk of the Baltimore Sun from 1981-to2001. He can be reached via orlo.leini@ gmail.com. Learn more about the Brown at liberty-ship.com.
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Celebrating Juneteeth
Join the festivities for our newest federal holiday at these towns around the Bay
by Dr. Nafeesah Allen
Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021, but its history as a day of celebration is much longer than that. Although President Lincoln freed enslaved people on January 1, 1863 by signing the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Galveston, Texas didn’t learn of their freedom until two years later, on June 19, 1865, when arriving Union troops announced the end of the Civil War. That day became known as Juneteenth, and it became Black Texas tradition to celebrate every year since. While the history was widely known throughout the south, few communities throughout the rest of the country commemorated it until last year, when President Biden declared the day a federal holiday. As a day of remembrance, Juneteenth galvanizes people of all ages and backgrounds to recognize our nation’s shared past and enjoy Black culture in the present, with many activities and events scheduled across the country. Here’s how you can join in the festivities around the Chesapeake Bay region, from cities and towns to our state capitals.
MARYLAND
Annapolis
Last year, Phyllis “Tee” Adam had a dream where she saw people having fun in a big field. She had no idea why they were there, but another dream days later left her with one word: Juneteenth. That dream sparked Annapolis’s first celebration, held in 2020 and attracting more than 4,000 visitors in its inaugural year.
This year’s highly anticipated celebration kicks off with a VIP Gala on June 17 that honors the community’s unsung heroes with an awards ceremony and dinner. The formal event will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel and tickets are available online at theannapolisjuneteenth.org.
June 18 will be full of celebrations that are free to the public, including a
LUKE THOMPSON
Juneteenth Celebration in Annapolis 2021
parade that sets off from City Dock at noon and ends at the Bates Weems Whalen Field around 2 p.m. The starting place marks the entry point of many enslaved Africans’ first arrival to Maryland, at what was then the state’s central port. The field is where the fun begins. Local musicians including the Avery Sunshine Band, the Chuck Brown Band, and gospel singers Beverly Crawford and Karyn Hawthorne will keep the crowd going until the night ends with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. This gathering is expected to draw thousands who will buy from local vendors, play in the interactive family and children’s zone, and learn more about Annapolis’s Black community. (As of press time, volunteers, entertainers, and sponsors still have time to sign up for the two-day event.)
On June 21, Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County will host a virtual lecture by Dr. Richard Bell, Associate Professor of History at the University of Maryland, and author of the new book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home, the true story of five free boys who were kidnapped in Philadelphia and fought to return home. For more details and tickets, check the Visit Annapolis website at visitannapolis.org.
Baltimore
Long known for hosting one of the East Coast’s largest African American festivals, with up to 100,000 attendees, Baltimore is back at it this year. On Juneteenth weekend at Druid Hill Park, the Baltimore AFRAM Festival, in partnership with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, will celebrate with art displays, musical performances, local food vendors, and workshops designed to educate and entertain. It is poised to become Baltimore’s official anchor celebration of the new national holiday. For more information go to the Afram website at aframbaltimore.com.
Chestertown
This celebration is sponsored by the Bayside HOYAS, a youth-centered nonprofit, in partnership with the Town of Chestertown and the Black Union of Kent County. It begins on June 17 at 6 p.m. in Fountain Park with a reconciliation ceremony and block party featuring local band Dell Foxx Company. On June 18 at 11 a.m., the celebrations continue with the Frederick Douglass Day of Acknowledgement, an awards ceremony, and other commemorative events at Wilmer Park.
Darlington
The 6th Annual Juneteenth Celebration Festival will take place on Saturday, June 18, at the historic Hosanna School Museum, located in this small town near the Susquehanna. Also known as the Berkley School, it was the first of four Freedmen’s Bureau schoolhouses in Harford County, built in 1867 on land formerly owned by a free African American named Cupid Paca. As one of the last Freedmen’s schools still standing in the state, the Museum’s commemoration is particularly meaningful. Enjoy a day full of good food, fun, and edu-tainment with music, lectures, craft vendors, costumed interpreters, food trucks, and more.
Salisbury
The Eastern Shore celebrations will start at 1 p.m. with a parade beginning at the intersection of Market and Main Streets in downtown Salisbury. Expect marching bands, classic cars, and costumed dance groups, followed by a street festival on North Division Street. Vendors and volunteers can sign up until June 1, and you can learn more at esjuneteenth.com.
St. Leonard
On June 19, take part in a day of fun for the whole family by celebrating African American Family Community Day at Jefferson Patterson Park, sponsored by the Calvert County NAACP. There will be contests, food and merchandise vendors, a health fair, children’s entertainment, and a living history tour. Keep an eye on calvertnaacp.org for updates and head to choosecalvert. com to learn more about southern Maryland’s Black histories with a downloadable map listing heritage sites around the county.
VIRGINIA
Hampton Roads
The Hampton Roads African American communities are proud to announce their 757 Juneteenth Freedom Fest on June 18. The festival is free to the public but an e-ticket must be downloaded from Eventbrite in order to enter the fairgrounds. (It will also count as your entry to a raffle.) Festivities start with a 10 a.m. parade from the event venue, followed by a celebration highlighting the contributions of local African American communities. The festival will also include various workshops, a baseball game, a kids’ zone, BBQ, and lots of other interesting events. Visit 757FreedomFest.org for further details.
Portsmouth
Sponsored by The City of Portsmouth, RAM’S Youth Center and The Book Club, preparations are underway to celebrate Juneteenth all weekend long in downtown Olde Towne. The event promises three days of music, dance, and theatre starting on June 17, including the Sheri Bailey play Abolitionists’ Museum. There will be discussions about history and health. Local vendors will also sell their wares. Keep an eye on their website juneteenthva.org and contact juneteenthva19@gmail.com to sign up as a vendor or volunteer.
Richmond
The Elegba Folklore Society will host its 26th annual Juneteenth, A Freedom Celebration, from June 24 to 26 at Richmond’s African Burial Ground. This celebration is known as one of Virginia’s premier commemorations highlighting Richmond’s inheritance of slavery and emancipation. This year, visitors can see the African Nyon Coya masquerades in ceremonies to honor African ancestors and seek their blessings. Richly told stories will be shared by guest speakers and healers, and a Freedom Market will offer great food and shopping for books, clothing, and more. Find more about the festivities at efsinc.org/events/festivals/ juneteenth/.
Dr. Nafeesah Allen is a writer and researcher with an interest in migration, literature, and diaspora studies within the global South. In 2020, she launched blackhistorybookshelf.com, an online book review website highlighting global Black histories.
JESSICA R COPELAND
Nyarinda Kelly, Melanie Anderson, Tamara Murphy, and Angela Gardner from Prevail Community Dance Ministry perform in Portsmouth.
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TALK OF THE BAY
Flight Club
Aviation history comes to life at Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Story & photos by Michael Milne
Iraised the flaps of my F-14 fighter jet and pushed the throttle forward as I roared down the runway of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in southern California, my twin turbofan engines thrusting me upward into the sky. Within seconds I was streaking over nearby San Diego Bay.
As the sunlight dappled the Pacific Ocean, I heard the dulcet tones of my flight instructor, Daniel Dickey, as he urged me to fly under the bay’s Coronado Bridge. Under? Well, here goes. I raced towards the bridge, but misjudged my altitude. Splash! Unperturbed, Dickey said, “That’s okay. Let’s try again.”
Fortunately, I wasn’t flying a real F-14 but “soaring” above the ground in a retired F-14 flight simulator at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park, Md. The museum is adjacent to the main entrance of Naval Air Station Patuxent River, the airfield that has been training U.S. Navy and Marine pilots—and more than a few future astronauts—since 1943.
Naval Air Station Patuxent River (locally known as Pax River) was dedicated on April 1, 1943 by Rear Admiral John S. McCain, the grandfather of future U.S. Senator John McCain III, who called it “the most needed station in the Navy.” Originally called Jarboesville, the area was renamed Lexington Park in 1942, honoring the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington, which was destroyed in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Over the years, NAS Patuxent River became the home of the United States Naval Test Pilot School and the Weapons Systems Test Division. The jets roaring overhead on training missions today reveal that the museum isn’t a mere static display reminiscing about a bygone era, but a dynamic connection to today’s armed forces.
The 2 ½-acre Patuxent Naval Air Museum opened in 1978. It sprawls throughout three hangar-sized structures as well as the outdoor Flight Line, where another two dozen aircraft are on display.
Above: Cockpit of the
