The Maryland Curiosity Bureau

WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore
  • 4.9 (138)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

What’s got you curious about Baltimore, the region, and its people? Is there a local mystery that’s always left you scratching your head? Veteran WYPR journalist Aaron Henkin is reporting to a new assignment editor: You. And together, you’ll find some answers, or at least learn something new along the way.

  1. What’s Happening With Community Schools in Maryland?

    04/03/2023

    What’s Happening With Community Schools in Maryland?

    What exactly are community schools? How are they funded? How are they different? And how well do they work? Maryland is spending almost 4 billion dollars a year to convert public schools to the community school model, and Baltimore Banner reporters Hallie Miller and Kristen Griffith join Aaron to visit some community schools and see how it’s going for students and their families. In this episode, you’ll hear from: Cheryl Brooks, Principal at Berkshire Elementary School Malik Sollas, Community School Liaison at Berkshire Elementary School Heather Chapman, Vice President of Neighborhood Zones, United Way of Central Maryland Kelly Oglesbee, Community Schools Program Manager, United Way of Central Maryland Michelle Gross, Family Center Director at Benjamin Franklin High School See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  2. Remembering Theo Hill

    03/20/2023

    Remembering Theo Hill

    Theo Hill hosted a series of intimate and honest conversations with people battling addiction on his WYPR podcast, One Day at a Time. His producer, Aaron Henkin, takes some time this week to remember Theo, who died recently due to complications from a stroke. Mr. Hill was 22 years substance-free at the time of his death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min
  3. Why Is There An Abandoned Streetcar In The Woods?

    03/13/2023

    Why Is There An Abandoned Streetcar In The Woods?

    It’s down in a gully near Bunker Hill Road in Hereford. Peer through the trees and you’ll see it, a vintage Baltimore streetcar, forgotten and rusting away in the forest. Hiker (and WYPR host) Ashley Sterner discovered the derelict streetcar a few years ago and has been obsessed with the mystery ever since: How did it end up there? And why? This episode, we pay a visit to The Baltimore Streetcar Museum and find answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min
  4. Why Don’t Baltimore City Schools Have School Buses?

    02/27/2023

    Why Don’t Baltimore City Schools Have School Buses?

    Ask MTA administrators and transit activists, and you’ll get the same answer: No idea. It’s just been that way forever. This episode, we find a fifty-year-old archival newspaper article that reveals some clues, and we hear from present-day student commuters about how well the system is working out for them today. This episode, we hear from: MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold Student bus commuters Isabelle, Imani, and Na’im Ruth Farfel and Kwane Wyatt of The Fund for Educational Excellence See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  5. Why Is Baltimore’s Bus System Such A Mess?

    02/20/2023

    Why Is Baltimore’s Bus System Such A Mess?

    When Charlie moved to Baltimore, her goal was to commute to work on a bus. It seemed like a reasonable plan. But it’s turned into a logistical nightmare. For Charlie, the bus system has proven to be unreliable, convoluted, and bewildering. Other cities can run a dependable bus service, so why can’t Baltimore? WYPR’s Aaron Henkin and Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller ride along with Charlie this episode and try to figure out what’s gone wrong, and why. In this episode, we hear from: Bus rider Charlie Amiot Brian O’Malley and Danielle Sweeney of Central Maryland Transportation Alliance Jed Weeks of Bikemore Bakari Height, Transit Equity Organizer with The Labor Network for Sustainability See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min
  6. Are Speed Cameras Actually Calming Traffic On The JFX?

    02/13/2023

    Are Speed Cameras Actually Calming Traffic On The JFX?

    Six months ago, Baltimore installed speed cameras on The Jones Falls Expressway, on a stretch of the highway where unsafe driving and traffic accidents have been a problem for years.  So, are the cameras having their intended effect? Aaron and Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller get some answers from the Baltimore City DOT. In this episode, we hear from: Corren Johnson, Interim Director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  7. Why Do I Get Called For Jury Duty So Often?

    01/30/2023

    Why Do I Get Called For Jury Duty So Often?

    It’s a civic duty. It’s a triumph of democracy. And if you live in Baltimore, it can feel like a hassle. Locals say they get summons letters from the city courthouse almost every year. Is that normal? Is it like that everywhere, or just in Baltimore? Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller teams up with Aaron to figure out how jury service works (and how it doesn’t). Who you'll hear from this episode: Brian Bornstein, research psychologist at Duke University Law School and co-author of the book The Jury Under Fire: Myth, Controversy, and Reform Nancy Marder, professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and author of the book, The Power of the Jury: Transforming Citizens into Jurors Baltimore jurors Uhmar Alston, Diana Farmer, Tamar Sarnoff, Ramsey Mihavitz, and Babloo Pilli See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  8. What’s With Those “Greatest City In America” Benches?

    01/23/2023

    What’s With Those “Greatest City In America” Benches?

    The paint is worn thin, but the message is still there, a puzzling declaration from a foggy past. At some point in history, someone decided to emblazon the city’s public benches with the hyperbolically proud slogan:  Baltimore – The Greatest City in America. Where’d this over-the-top motto come from? And how’d it end up on all those benches? Baltimore Banner reporter Clara Longo de Freitas teams up with Aaron Henkin to find the answers. In this episode, we hear from: Martin O’Malley, Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007 Steve Kearney, Director of Policy and Communications during O’Malley’s Mayoral Administration Kurt Schmoke, Mayor of Baltimore from to 1987 to 1999 Sandy Hillman, Former Head of Mayor William Donald Schaefer’s Office of Promotion and Tourism See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
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4.9
out of 5
138 Ratings

About

What’s got you curious about Baltimore, the region, and its people? Is there a local mystery that’s always left you scratching your head? Veteran WYPR journalist Aaron Henkin is reporting to a new assignment editor: You. And together, you’ll find some answers, or at least learn something new along the way.

Information

  • Creator
    WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2023
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 WYPR Baltimore
  • Show Website
    The Maryland Curiosity Bureau