Puptastic! The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Rehabilitates an Otter Pup
If you haven’t been binge-watching the zoo’s adorable videos of its rescued otter pup, what have you even been doing with your time? The endearing otter has developed a following, whether she’s offering up ASMR chomping snacks and grunting in her play pen or splashing in her baby pool. The otter was believed to be about 40 days old when she was found stranded on the shores of the river in Elk Neck State Park. Park officials waited to see if the mother would turn up, but eventually called in Maryland Zoo officials for help.
Staff are transitioning the pup to solid foods and inoculating her against diseases, but funnily enough, much of what the otter is getting at the Zoo are lessons in how to be an otter.
“Otters that young are very vulnerable without their mother,” says Erin Cantwell Grimm, mammal curator at the Maryland Zoo. “Pups learn all their life skills from their mother, so it’s up to us to teach them things an otter should know, like how to hunt, what’s safe to eat and, believe it or not, not to be afraid of the water at first.”
Right now, the otter can only be seen through social media as it is living in the quarantine area of the Zoo’s animal hospital until it has received all of its initial vaccinations, passed health examinations, and becomes a more experienced swimmer. Zoo officials will eventually coordinate with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to identify her best future home, but she has a permanent one in our hearts.
Revival: Some Good News Out of Brooklyn/Curtis Bay
We continue to send support to the loved ones of those who were killed in the shooting at a block party in the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay neighborhood this month, as well as those who were injured. As the neighborhood heals, many initiatives to strengthen the community as a whole are moving forward. Early in July, champion community organization Action Baybrook toured media and would-be homeowners through the once-vacant home it renovated on Fifth Street in Brooklyn. The rehab is part of the group’s overall effort to reduce vacancy and support the economy by creating homes that will appeal to residents who were otherwise looking to leave the area.
Action Baybrook was also one of this year’s Community Catalyst Grant awardees, named on July 10 by Mayor Brandon Scott. The $1.9 million in funding is divided among 22 organizations that are focused on resident-led community development and neighborhood transformation. This is the third round of the grants. The organization has two other homes in renovation and is looking for financial support to grow their effort. Oh, and that house in Brooklyn? According to Redfin it sold on July 12 for $225,000. Welcome home to those lucky owners!
Closing the Divide: New Initiatives Will Finally Improve Broadband Access in WiFi Deserts
While it may seem hard to believe, there are many areas in the state—44,000 to be exact—that don’t have access to high-speed internet. When the pandemic put our lives online, the disparity became extreme, with people resorting to desperate measures—like huddling in their parked car outside a local school—just to find WiFi.
This month, two efforts were announced to shrink the digital divide. On July 6, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced that a $7.4 million grant executed in partnership with Comcast would be used to expand high-speed service to 450 homes in rural areas in northern Baltimore County. That means about 99 percent coverage where there was previously none. The grant builds on two earlier efforts. A 2021 expansion to support nearly 900 homes is expected to be completed this summer, while a 2022 program to wire-up 1,000 homes will likely be complete in 2024. This latest initiative will hopefully have WiFi wrapped up by 2025.
Then, on July 18, Governor Wes Moore launched the Maryland ActNow campaign in partnership with EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit that works with communities that cannot afford internet. Earlier this spring Moore announced $267 million in federal funding to support Maryland’s broadband infrastructure, but this campaign will help increase awareness of, and enrollment in, the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers internet access discounts for low-income households. The discount will be a boon for city residents for whom affordability is a barrier to entering the internet superhighway.
We’ll take S’Moore: Governor Wes Moore is en Vogue
Speaking of the gov’, many Marylanders were taken by surprise when Vogue announced on social media that it was featuring Moore and his family in the September issue (the story is already available online). For those not in the fashion know, the September issue is the issue to be in, traditionally the most highly anticipated, biggest issue of the year because it features all of the fall fashion and trends.
The story—which also quotes local notables like former mayor and current University of Baltimore president, Kurt Schmoke—features photographs of Moore and his family captured by the famed Annie Leibovitz. The undercurrent to the story certainly leans toward whether Moore’s star is rising to the national celestial skies, or about to flame out. Either way, he certainly gets high marks for looking dapper while delivering a serious message about his commitment to service-oriented politics. Who knows, maybe someday we can all say, “We knew him when…”
Adley Rutschman and His Dad Tug Heart Strings at the Home Run Derby
Adley Rutschman broke the sports-loving sector of the internet when he strode to the plate during the Home Run Derby at the All Star Game on July 10 and hit 20 balls outta the park before switching to the left side and hitting seven more. While Rutschman called his performance “respectable,” it was, in fact, the most home runs by a switch-hitter ever in the Derby.
But it was not just his performance that won over fans (even if he didn’t win the actual Derby). Pitching all those balls to the homerun hitter was none other than his dad, Randy, a former college catcher and longtime baseball coach with whom he’s played ball since he was a kid. The two exchanged several adorable hugs on field. The winner of the whole shebang was Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose dad won the honor in 2007, making it a big night for father-son duos all around.
Want to share some good news? Email Special Editions Editor Christianna McCausland at [email protected].