Eastport Communal Resistance

So, the Maritime Republic of Eastport Tug of War was the community moment of the year for the annexed neighborhood of Annapolis. Eastport was "flooded" with the locals who usually whole up in their million dollar eighteenth century houses or in their two million dollars boats.

I chose to join the party on the Eastport side. I may live in downtown Annapolis, but I work and have most of my fun in Eastport. Good choice. The street festival set up for the MRE was first-rate down-home with a delicious smelling food court, on the spot chili cook off, and my favorite, live music. The Eastport Oyster Boys were playing out tunes that have won them the favor of the region for the past decade, at least, with tons of local references and maritime inside jocks--"you can do anything but stay off of my new deck shoes."

The tug of war was a best out of seven battle with different teams sponsored by local organization such as bars, banks, medical offices, and emergency response services. The Fire Department versus Police Department was the longest fought battle, lasting over seven minutes of fight time. The Fire Department on the Eastport side emerged victorious in the end, winning the only bout that garnered a trophy, which was comforting given that the Annapolis teams won four of the seven pulls.

In the end, I can tell that it was the yuppies in Eastport that were the real winners--walking back to my apartment in downtown Annapolis, I could see that the streets were almost completely cleared and there was no real community moment beyond the actual tug and pull battle. On the other side, the MRE will be enjoying a family friendly (Eddie Bauer parents and 1.25 children perfection) community moment with good food, hopping polished music, and their neighbors for at least the better part of the day. Congratulations, MRE, you know how to produce a culture-building event.