Welcome to Baltimore!

2009 Annual Meeting
Baltimore Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel
March 19-22, 2009

Dear ESS Attendee:

I am so very excited to welcome ESS back to Baltimore. After many years away, the Easterns are returning to the City that is the closest ESS location to me personally and, more importantly, to a city I love and to where I attended my first ESS meeting.

Baltimore is not my hometown, but I have come to appreciate the "charm" of Charm City. Baltimore has something to offer everyone. To begin, Baltimore is a historic city. Founded by Lord Baltimore in 1729, history buffs will find much to see in the city. Baltimore is the site of the homes of two famous Carrolls. Charles Carroll was Maryland Delegate to the Continental Congress and delegate to the first Maryland State Senate in 1777. His home, Mont Clare is a step back into the 1700's. http://www.mountclare.org/index.html. It is also the site of the home of his more famous cousin, Charles Carroll of Carrolton, was the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is also the home of the Mother Seton House, considered the cradle of American Parochial Schools. http://www.mothersetonhouse.org/Thehouse.html. Finally, a must see for history buffs, is the Enoch Pratt free Library, one of the oldest free public library systems in the U.S. Housed at Enoch Pratt are the collections of H.L. Mencken, and Edgar Allen Poe.

Baltimore is a National Historic Seaport. Start in the inner harbor with the USS Constellation Historic Ships Museum. http://www.constellation.org/ The USS Constellation is the last all sail warship built by the US Navy. But the Constellation is just the beginning. A short ferry ride from the harbor is Fort McHenry. http://www.nps.gov/fomc/ Fort McHenry is considered the birthplace of the national anthem. The heroic defense of this star-shaped fort in September of 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner". Also located in the harbor are: the Lightship Chesapeake commissioned in 1930, the USBCB Taney, one of only seven Treasury/Secretary Class cutters built before WWII, the USS Torsk, commissioned in December of 1944, one of only ten Trench Class fleet type submarines to see service in the pacific operating from Pearl Harbor

For art enthusiasts, there are museums for every taste. From ancient artifacts to contemporary art, there are more than enough to choose from. The American Visionary Art Museum (http://www.avam.org/) features self-taught artists in seven unique galleries; Art Gallery of Fells Point (http://www.fellspointgallery.org/ ) is a co-op housing paintings, watercolors, and photographs of local artists. One of the largest art museums in Maryland, The Baltimore Museum of Art's collection ranges from ancient mosaics to contemporary art. (http://www.artbma.org/ ). Unique to Baltimore is the James E. Lewis Museum of Art. This museum has a large collection of 19th and 20th century American, European, and traditional African Art. And last, but not least, is The Walters Art Museum (http://www.thewalters.org/ ), which is acknowledged as one of the best art museums in the country. The Walters boasts Egyptian mummies, medieval armor and 19th century masterpieces.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum (http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/ ) and the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame (http://www.uslacrosse.org/museum/index.phtml ). Baltimore is also home to the Baltimore Ravens http://www.baltimoreravens.com/ ), the Baltimore Orioles (http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/ ), the Baltimore Blast (http://www.baltimoreblast.com/ ), and Pimlico Race Course (http://www.pimlico.com/ ).

If you have joined the Green Movement you might be interested to know that Baltimore was voted the 10th greenest city in the U.S. by SustainLane, a people powered guide to sustainable living. This ranking is based on new green building requirements, single-stream recycling, and a dedicated commission to create and implement a sustainability plan for the city. http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/

Baltimore is a culinary delight. From the authentic linguine and calzones of Little Italy, to the signature steamed crabs and crab cakes of Phillips, you will find tasty delights around every corner. Baltimore neighborhoods are famous for their diverse restaurants. Try Federal Hill for authentic Mexican cuisine or Mt Vernon to satisfy your craving for Indian or Afghan offerings. The Inner Harbor is the spot for Chesapeake Bay flavor. Be sure to try a little Old Bay. If you can not make up your mind, walk over to the world famous Lexington Market. This Baltimore landmark houses 140 vendors selling crab cakes, candy, sushi, fried chicken, and deli sandwiches, just to list a few.

Baltimore is a city that inspired the likes of Frederick Douglass, Cab Calloway, Ben Carson, John Waters, Thurgood Marshall, Edgar Allen Poe, and Frank Zappa. It is sure to inspire you. So, Welcome to Baltimore.

Debra Lemke

McDaniel College