MRE
began with laughs over a beer and transformed itself into a
large independent entity. MRE started to promote civic awareness
and have some fun, and now raises thousands of dollars for area
charities. MRE brought together ordinary citizens with extraordinary
abilities and has captured the attention of the local and national
press. MRE is the Maritime Republic of Eastport.
So,
what, exactly is the MRE?
Eastport
has always boasted a proud history. Lafayette's troops camped
here on their way to defeat the British at Yorktown in 1781. In
1776, Fort Horn was built, protecting the harbor from invasion
by the British fleets during the Revolutionary War and again during
the War of 1812. The
town of Eastport was established in 1868 and annexed into the
City of Annapolis in 1951. Eastport continued to wallow under
the shadow of Annapolis proper until the uprising on Independence
Day, Sunday, Jan. 25, 1998.
Like
any great movement, the concept for the Maritime Republic of Eastport
began in a local pub over a couple mugs of beer. The prime mission
was to find a creative way to promote and encourage the patronage
of Eastport businesses that were destined to be hurt by the Maryland
State Highway Administration's shutting down for repair of the
drawbridge connecting mainland Annapolis with the Eastport peninsula.
The citizens of Eastport took advantage of their isolation to
sever their social, political and economic ties as well.
The
goal was to foster a spirit of independence and merriment in a
manner befitting the character of Eastport and at the same time,
to celebrate Eastport's proud heritage and quality of life.
So
the Maritime Republic of Eastport was founded on Super Bowl Sunday,
1998, when patriots residing on the Horn Point peninsula rose
up in revolt against the snobbish suppression of "Annapolis Proper"
across the harbor.
With
the roar of cannon, the firing of Brussels sprouts from the muskets
of military reenactors, and the blaring of the horns
of the Eastport Chamberpot Orchestra, the Republic established
its own passports, currency, national anthem, navy, militia, as
well as its own flag emblazoned with a coat of arms flanked with
rampant retrievers and the motto, "We like it this way!"
Barber Leon Wolfe was appointed Prime Minister, and his popular
shop on Fourth Street-now known as the "Avenue of the Republic"-became
the capitol of the fledgling nation. MRE served to galvanize the
populace, and in the process, thousands of dollars were raised
to support neighborhood nonprofit groups.
In
May of that year, 1998, the MRE Minister of the Navy, Admiral
Bob Slaff, gathered a victorious armada of 34 privateers and paraded
around Annapolis Harbor while firing cannons, effectively capturing
it for the MRE.
In
November 1998, the feisty MRE gang proposed a tug-of-war to the
townspeople of Annapolis, and a tradition began. The Annapolis
Jaycees took on the job of representing Annapolis in this endeavor.
The MRE folks won and the Annapolis Harbor was renamed the Gulf
of Eastport in honor of that victory.
In
the first annual Tug-of-War the victorious MRE teams won two out
of three tugs. The second annual tug in November 1999 proved MRE
victorious once more, winning the best of seven heats. Surveyors
discovered afterward that the competitors tugged so hard that
the Eastport peninsula is now 2.1403 meters closer to City Dock
than it was before the first tug.
Today's
MRE…
Now
that the MRE has successfully established its independence and
aided the prosperity of Eastport's businesses, it has directed
its attention on ensuring that the MRE remains one of the best
places to live ANYWHERE! We are committed to improving the quality
of life here and hold numerous charitable events to benefit needy
organizations.
For
more information, contact Elvia
Thompson, Minister of Propaganda, at 410 990-9025.
