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J. Gruber's Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack , or The Almanack, is the oldest almanac in the United States that is still produced by heirs of the original founder, John Gruber. Established in Hagerstown (Washington County), it has been providing agricultural, meteorological and astrological information for the Mid-Atlantic region since 1797. The Almanack, which also contains folk remedies, local poetry, and other forms of traditional community wisdom, was printed in German for its first 25 years, reflecting the fact that the language was still heavily used in the region. In 1822, as readership increased, an English language version of The Almanack was printed and the publication of both German and English editions continued for 100 years. It is the English version of the original publication that has continued through to today. Currently edited by the great-great-great-great great grandson of John Gruber, Charles W. Fisher, Jr., millions of copies have been sold and distributed, impacting a significant amount of farming families and agricultural communities. It is said that The Almanack has made Hagerstown widely known throughout the US and has given Maryland an 'epicenter' of farming and agricultural life. At its core is the tradition of forecasting next year's weather, down to the very day, by using centuries-old astrological calculations, a process that is still continued by mathematician, Professor William O'Toole III of Emmitsburg. In recent years, other traditions have developed in association with the almanac, such as the annual Woolly Bear Contest, where caterpillar-like woolly bears are collected in large quantities so that a "complete and thorough analysis of their distinct markings can be made to determine how severe or mild the coming winter will be."
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The New Media Studio has completed production on a series of 20 training videos for the University of Maryland Medical School's MD3 program. MD3 (Maryland M.D.s Making a Difference) is an innovative and comprehensive medical residency training curriculum for Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral, and Treatment (SBIRT) for individuals who misuse, abuse, or are dependent on substances including illegal drugs, prescription medication, alcohol, and nicotine. Through this program, SBIRT training and procedures are integrated into participating primary care residency programs at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), including Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, encompassing approximately 500 residents.
This series of videos is being used to train residents in the program. MD3 training videos demonstrating screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment are utilized to clarify the process and technique for each component of SBIRT. These training videos are used in online modules, during lectures, or viewed online for further practice. You can view the video series here.
The workshop is available to UMBC faculty free of charge however we ask that you commit to attending the full three days. There are a limited number of seats available for faculty from other area institutions. The fee for non-UMBC faculty will be $500.
If you are interested in reserving a seat please contact me at shewbrid@umbc.edu. Preference will be given to those who have not taken one of our workshops before, however alumni are welcome to join us if space is available.
]]>Editied by Diana Oblinger, the book and individual chapters are avaiable for free download.
The documentary was screened at the Maryland Traditions 2011 ALTA awards.