Spy Desk

Horizons of Kent & Queen Anne’s Dance with the Stars 2019

January 19, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

It is time again for Horizons of Kent & Queen Anne’s Dance With the Stars! Join us on Saturday, February 2 for one of the most exciting fundraisers in our community, and walk the red carpet for A Night in Hollywood. Local “stars” and pros are paired to earn votes (i.e. dollars!) that raise funds for the Horizons summer enrichment program in Kent & Queen Anne’s counties. The program offers six weeks of opportunity for underprivileged youth to reduce “summer slide”, enrich their academics, build and grow swimming skills and give the students an overall fun learning environment in the summer. 100% of your donation to this critical program goes directly to helping local children.

As the dancers hone their dance routines, you can vote by contributing $1/vote for the pair (or pairs) of your choice. A Night in Hollywood is sure to impress, with the Kent County Community Center being transformed into a glitzy Hollywood setting! Grab your friends and buy a table for the night, enjoy delicious food and cocktails, vote for your favorite dancers, and be ready to cut a rug when the dance floor opens up after the show! If you aren’t able to attend the event, you can donate online at www.horizonskentqueenannes.org or mail donations to Horizons of Kent & Queen Anne’s 116-B Lynchburg Street Chestertown, MD 21620.

Compass Welcomes Medical Director, Readies for Palliative Care Program Launch

January 19, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Dr. Thomas Walsh

Compass Regional Hospice welcomed its full-time chief medical director, Dr. Thomas Walsh, on Jan. 1, and is preparing to launch its new Compass Palliative Care Program at the beginning of February.

“It is with great pride that we have hired Dr. Tom Walsh as our full-time chief medical director,” said Compass Regional Hospice Executive Director Heather Guerieri. “In addition to now taking on a full-time role with us, he will be leading our newest program, Compass Palliative Care. We will be taking our first referrals for this program on Feb. 4.”

Dr. Thomas Walsh of Queenstown recently retired from his practice with Maryland Primary Care Physicians at the end of 2018 to take on the role of full-time chief medical director with Compass Regional Hospice, effective Jan. 1, 2019. Walsh has been the chief medical director for Compass Regional Hospice since March 2017, working contractually.

Walsh received his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, from Benedictine University in Illinois in 1974. He is a 1978 graduate of Rush University’s Rush Medical College in Chicago and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore from 1978 to 1981. He has practiced medicine since 1981, first in Anne Arundel County, and has been practicing in Queen Anne’s County since 1988. He was a founding partner and former board member of Maryland Primary Care Physicians and, prior to his retirement, served as the clinical director for its Queenstown site.

“As a family physician, I had the opportunity to be involved in the lives of patients and their families from birth until death,” Walsh said. “My nearly 40 years of medical practice has given me the privilege of caring for thousands of people. End-of-life care has always been an especially important part of my work.”

Walsh also is a Queen Anne’s County Orphan’s Court judge and he is a former member of the Maryland Board of Physicians’ licensing, disciplinary and regulatory board.

“My involvement with Compass Regional Hospice as its chief medical director has given me the chance to be front and center with patients and families when it comes to end-of-life care. I am looking forward to this new role, and I know this partnership will continue to make me a better doctor and a better person,” Walsh said.

Walsh said he and the Compass Regional Hospice team look forward to the Feb. 4 launch of the Compass Palliative Care Program, which will be offered as a home care service to anyone who is dealing with a serious illness and has received a terminal diagnosis or life-expectancy of one year or less.

“I am looking forward to the launch of Compass Regional Hospice’s community palliative care program because it will give our team the opportunity to help more people who are living with and dealing with a serious illness, but are not yet ready for hospice services,” Walsh said. “The services we will be providing will help ensure that no one has to deal with the challenges of living with a serious illness alone.”

Compass Regional Hospice’s Director of Clinical Services, Dr. Holly Hayman, said palliative care is defined by Compass Regional Hospice as “the comprehensive care and management of the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of patients (of all ages) and their families with a serious and/or life-threatening illness. Palliative Care may be complimentary to curative or life-prolonging therapies that are being used to meet patient-defined goals of care.”

“We are very excited to offer the community-based Compass Palliative Care Program to provide additional medical care for individuals in the community with a life-limiting illness who do not qualify for hospice services,” Hayman said. “The program will provide patients with an additional level of coordinated care to better manage the challenges they face while living with a serious illness. Home visits will be provided by our palliative care physician and a social worker, which will assist the patient’s current medical team with symptom management related to the life-limiting illness.”

To learn more about hospice and palliative care services, or grief support services, available through Compass Regional Hospice, please contact Haymanat 443-262-4104 or hhayman@compassregionalhospice.org.

Compass Regional Hospice – Care on your terms

Compass Regional Hospice is a fully licensed, independent, community-based nonprofit organization certified by Medicare and the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission. Since 1985, Compass Regional Hospice has been dedicated to supporting people of all ages through the challenge of living with a serious illness and learning to live following the death of a loved one. Today, the organization is a regional provider of hospice care and grief support in Queen Anne’s, Kent and Caroline counties. “Care on your terms” is the promise that guides staff and volunteers as they care for patients in private residences, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and the residential hospice centers in Centreville and Chestertown. Grief support services are offered to children, adults and families of patients who died under hospice care, as well as members of the community who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Compass Regional Hospice, visit compassregionalhospice.org.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

February 2019 Sky-Watch

January 18, 2019 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

Looking due south on clear winter nights in February, sky-watchers can find 6 bright constellations and see 8 of the top 20 brightest stars, as seen from Earth. These include the brightest of all, SIRIUS, the “dog” star, in the constellation Canis Major. Also by 9:00 pm local time in mid-February, the first sign of approaching spring is heralded by the appearance of Leo the lion, rising above the eastern horizon.

Start half-way up to the zenith (top of the sky), looking south for the “hour glass” shape of Orion the hunter. Three equally bright stars in a neat line in the center of Orion mark the “belt” around the waist of this mighty hunter. Red giant star BETELGEUSE (upper left corner), and the blue giant star RIGEL (lower right corner), are two of the eight 1st magnitude stars of winter. Orion also boasts 5 bright 2nd magnitude stars, which include the three belt stars.

Moving one’s eyes through the belt stars, down and left, points us to SIRIUS, twinkling near the southern horizon. Using the belt stars of Orion again to point up and to the right brings us to red-orange ALDEBARAN, brightest star in Taurus the bull. The bull’s head is made of stars forming a distinct V-shape in this Zodiac constellation.

Above Sirius, and slightly to its left is Canis Minor, a constellation of only 3 stars, that represents the smaller or Orion’s two hunting dogs. Brightest of the 3 stars is PROCYON. Just above this is the Zodiac constellation GEMINI, the twins. The two stick men formed by Gemini’s stars are headed by two more of winter’s brightest stars, POLLUX and CASTOR.

Above Gemini and nearly at the zenith is Auriga, the goat herder constellation, which has a pentagon shape. The brightest star in Auriga is CAPELLA, a yellow star like our Sun, but much larger.

Leo the lion is also a part of the Zodiac and one of the brightest of the spring constellations, but in February Leo introduces itself as a sure sign that spring is coming by rising above the eastern horizon then. Leo reaches its peak in April and May. The bottom star at the front of Leo is yet another 1st magnitude star to be seen in February it is called REGULUS.

Mars, among the planets, remains easy to see in the evening southern sky, but it fades in magnitude from +0.9 to +1.2 through February. Is continues to move further away from us in its orbit. even telescopes will not bring in much surface detail now because of this distance.

Mercury will give us its best views of 2019 from February 15th to February 26th. On the 15th Mercury, at magnitude –1.1, may be seen left of where the Sun set 30 minutes afterwards. But it will only be 5 degrees above the western horizon then. However, Mercury rises higher each day until by the 26th it will be 18 degrees left of the Sun, which will translate to 11 degrees of altitude, 30 to 45 minutes after sunset.

The pre-dawn eastern sky features 3 planets this month. The first up (around 4:00 am) will be Jupiter (-2.0 magnitude). On the morning of the 27th, the waning crescent Moon will be just 2 degrees above Jupiter. Venus comes up some 30 minutes after Jupiter in the East, and be even brighter at –4.2. Venus will appear in almost the same spot in the sky as Saturn on the morning of the 18th. Venus then will be only one degree above the ringed planet Saturn, which will be at magnitude +0.6. Find a good clear view to the eastern pre-dawn horizon all month to watch all 3 of these planets in the one to two hours before sunup.

Full Moon for February is on February 19th.

Filed Under: Brevities

Kent School Students Compete in School Level National Geography Bee

January 18, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Last January 11, Kent School students in grades four through eight competed in the 2019 school-level National Geographic Geography Bee. Lennox Franks, a sixth grade, student won the school-level competition and a chance to compete in the Maryland State Bee.This is the first time Lennox has made it to the finals of the school-level Bee. Fifth grade student, Lia Schutwas the runner-up this year. After several rounds in the school Bee, Lennox and Lia emerged as the finalists and the two battled through several tie-breaker rounds with questions about South America, Central America and Asia.

Two students qualified in preliminary rounds completed in fourth through eighth grade earlier this month. Finalists were: Peri Overton and Tyler Dunlap (4^th grade) Alternate, Oliver Morris competed in place of Peri since she was not able to attend, Harrison Laveryand Lia Schut (5th grade), Lennox Franks and Gavin Larrimore (6th grade), Allie Butler and Eddie Gillespie (7th grade), and Kolby Brice and Aiden Lafferty (8th grade.)

Winner and Runner up: Lennox Franks and Lia Schut

Patrick Pearce, Middle School History and Geography teacher at Kent School coordinated the Bee this year. “I am grateful to my colleagues and special guests for helping to coordinate and judge the 2019 Geo Bee. I am proud of all of the students who competed last Friday. In her next step of the competition, Lennox will take a written test to see if she qualifies to move on to the Maryland State level.”

According to the National Geographic Bee web page, “Each year, thousands of schools in the U.S. participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in the classrooms and spark student interest in the subject and increase public awareness about geography.”Pearce continued, “The National Geographic Bee fits seamlessly with Kent School’s commitment to history and global studies. Our students learn about the world and different habitats in Kindergarten. Global Studies continues in third grade and is woven through the middle school history curriculum in grades five through eight as the students explore American History and our connection with countries around the globe.”

For more information about Kent School visit www.kentschool.org, email tcammerzell@kentschool.org or call 410-778-4100 ext. 110. Kent School, located in historic Chestertown, MD is an independent day school serving children from Preschool through Grade 8. The School’s mission is to guide our students in realizing their potential for academic, artistic, athletic, and moral excellence. Our school’s family-oriented, supportive, student-centered environment fosters the growth of honorable, responsible citizens for our country and our diverse world.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Democratic Club of Kent County Meeting January 17

January 16, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Come join old friends and make new ones at Bad Alfred’s located at 323 High Street in Chestertown this Thursday evening, January 17th.

The Democratic Club of Kent County extends an invitation to all people interested in keeping the Blue Wave surging into the 2020 Presidential Election! Please join us as we review last year, set priorities and brainstorm activities for 2019. You don’t need to be a member to attend and if you already are part of the club please bring along neighbors and friends!

Bad Alfred’s doors will open at 5:30 pm for meals, drinks and social time. Main program/discussion starting at 7:00 pm. We look forward to seeing everyone Thursday!

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Radcliffe Creek School Launches Sylvia and Julien Baxter Legacy Society

January 13, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Radcliffe Creek School is pleased to announce the launch of the Sylvia and Julien Baxter Legacy Society to recognize donors who have generously included Radcliffe Creek in their estate plans.

The Baxter Legacy Society is designed to encourage donors to consider ways they can help ensure the school will have the resources necessary to sustain it far into the future. Members can include alumni, parents and grandparents, faculty members, past and current, and those wishing to honor the school’s original investors through the Founders’ Fund. By providing gifts through their wills or various charitable gift agreements, members gain the satisfaction of directing their gifts to five important areas: general endowment to ensure the school’s sustainability; financial aid; faculty support; capital improvements, and academic and athletic programming.

The Baxter Legacy Society recognizes the Florida couple who have supported scholarships at the school since its inception and have now added a significant bequest for the Sylvia and Julien Baxter Scholarship at Radcliffe in their estate plans.

“We have watched the remarkable growth of Radcliffe Creek School since its founding 23 years ago under Molly Brogan Judge’s leadership. The school transforms the lives of these extraordinary students who attend, and we are pleased to have made provisions in our estate plan to sustain the scholarships we have supported on an annual basis for many years,” said Sylvia Baxter.

“Financial aid is a critical component of the Radcliffe Creek School annual budget. Without adequate resources devoted to scholarships, students who could otherwise benefit from all that the school offers would be unable to attend,” she continued. “My husband, Dooley, and I are pleased that we are able to help future generations this way.”

Meg Bamford, Head of School, remarked, “We are so grateful to the Baxters for helping us to launch this instrumental legacy fund. The notion that generous supporters of our school continue to give by recognizing us in their estate is so moving. It is clear that the additional gifts to the Baxter Legacy Society will have a huge and lasting impact on our school’s ability to continue to change the trajectory of many students’ lives.”

Radcliffe Creek School is an independent day school with the mission of empowering children in a dynamic
environment that celebrates unique learning. For more information about the Legacy Society, Radcliffe Creek or Little Creek, the school’s preschool, which includes programs for children from infancy through pre-kindergarten, please call 410-778-8150 or visit www.radcliffecreekschool.org.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Qlarant Recognized as One of the Nation’s Best and Brightest Companies

January 11, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Qlarant announced today that they have received the national recognition of being selected a winner in the Best and Brightest Companies to work for in the Nation. The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® annual competition strives to recognize the most influential, trend-setting companies across the country by reviewing answers to questions about communication, work-life balance, employee education, and diversity. It identifies and honors companies that deliver exceptional human resource practices and an impressive commitment to their employees. Participating companies have the opportunity to benchmark results with other cities such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and Chicago. Nationwide there were over 2400 nominations who met all the participation requirements.

The Qlarant Easton based employees participating in community service.

The competition identified Qlarant as a key industry leader, top influencer and best in class performer in this national annual competition.

Deborah Keller, Vice President of Human Resources at Qlarant commented, “We are thrilled that our associates nominated us for this award – it demonstrates that they believe Qlarant is an exceptional place to work; we are focused on offering affordable benefits that appeal to a broad workforce and providing a strong work/life balance. Winning the award is a strong testament to commitment to our culture.”

About Qlarant

Qlarant is a not-for-profit, nationally respected leader in fighting fraud, waste, and abuse—improving program quality, and optimizing performance. The company uses subject matter experts and innovative data science and technology to help organizations see risks, solve problems, and seize opportunities. Solutions are customized for state and federal agencies as well as commercial industries across the nation. The Qlarant Foundation— the mission arm of the organization—provides grants to services provided in underserved communities. Qlarant employs nearly 500 people and has a 45-year record of accomplishment improving the performance of some of the Nation’s most important programs. Qlarant is a licensed AgileCxO Transformation Partner. www.qlarant.com

Filed Under: Homepage Notes

Mid Shore Community Mediation Holds Info Session

January 11, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Interested in making peace? If you are interested in helping resolve local disputes, consider volunteering as a community mediator. Mediation can help everyone. You’ll learn skills that will help you manage your own conflicts while you learn to help others work through disagreements and make plans about their future.

Mid Shore Community Mediation Center is holding January information sessions for anyone interested in finding out how mediation works and why it matters. Staff and volunteers will talk about what they do and how mediation makes a difference in hundreds of people’s lives every year. The Center’s mission is to build stronger communities by facilitating fair, free and prompt resolution of disputes.

Mediation is a confidential, non-judgmental process through which those involved are supported by a neutral third party, to have productive conversations, hear each other, and move forward with plans that they create together

Mid Shore Community Mediation Center is a nonprofit community resource that delivers around 500 mediations across the community each year. The center receives referrals from individuals, the courts, community organizations and schools. Highly trained staff and volunteers mediate disputes within families, between neighbors, landlords and tenants, with business organizations and for people coming out of incarceration.

Find out more about who we are, what we do and how you can become a volunteer community mediator at:

Talbot County Free Library, Easton on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 5:30 pm

Chesapeake College, Cambridge on Tuesday January 29, 2019 at 5:30 pm

For more on the information sessions or to RSVP, call 410-820-5553 or email info@midshoremediation.org.

The Mid Shore Community Mediation Center is committed to bringing harmony and strength to our community through peace and understanding. The Center’s mission is to build stronger communities by facilitating fair, free and prompt resolution of disputes in Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester Counties. To find out more, visit midshoremediation.org.

For community members in Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties visit Community Mediation Upper Shore at CMUSmediation.org. For those in Wicomico, Somerset, and Worchester Counties visit Tri-Community Mediation at TriCommunityMediation.org.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Delmarva Power Reminds Customers of Important Energy Assistance Programs

January 10, 2019 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

This winter season, Delmarva Power reminds customers of important energy assistance available in Delaware and Maryland to help meet their energy needs. Colder temperatures during the winter can result in customers using more energy and seeing higher than normal bills, so Delmarva Power is taking steps to expand awareness of these important programs. These programs can also help customers stay energized through temporary or extended financial hardship, including those who may be impacted by the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“We are committed to providing affordable energy service for every customer,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “Every day we work with community partners across the region to make sure available energy assistance gets in the hands of those who need it most, when they need it most.”

Delmarva Power works with state, federal, and nonprofit partners to connect customers with grants and programs.

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

LIHEAP provides customers with up to $1,000 in grant support per customer, depending on a household’s income, size and type of fuel, with no pay back required. Delmarva Power customers in Delaware can apply for LIHEAP energy assistance by visiting the Department of Health and Services website or by calling 302-644-9295 in New Castle County, 302-674-1782 in Kent County, or 302-856-6310 in Sussex County. In Maryland, customers can apply for LIHEAP energy assistance through the Department of Human Services website, by visiting a Local Energy Assistance Office, or by calling the Office of Home Energy Programs at 1-800-332-6347.

Good Neighbor Energy Fund

Delmarva Power partners with the Salvation Army to offer energy assistance to customers struggling to pay their winter energy bills through the Good Neighbor Energy Fund. In addition to the donations received by customers, Delmarva Power matches $1 for every $3 received, up to $70,000 annually. For eligibility, Delaware customers can call the Salvation Army at 302-472-0750. Maryland customers can call the Cecil Heating Assistance Program at 410-996-0270, Harford County Community Action Agency at 410-612-9909, or the Salvation Army at 410-749-3077.

Gift of Energy

Through Delmarva Power’s Gift of Energy program, anyone can make a payment towards a friend or family member’s energy bill. The gift will appear on a future bill as a credit to the recipient’s account.

Other Delaware Programs

Additional assistance for customers in Delaware is available through Delaware 211 (DE 211). By dialing 2-1-1, customers can be referred to local agencies and services that can assist with energy bills and other necessities. More information is available at delaware211.org.

Other Maryland Programs

Other programs supporting Maryland customers include the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP), which helps eligible customers pay for a portion of their current electric bill. The Arrearage Retirement Assistance (ARA) program helps customers with large, past due electric bills. If eligible, customers may receive forgiveness of up to $2,000 towards their past due bill. The Utility Service Protection Program (USPP) is designed to help low-income families during the heating season. Information regarding these programs can be found on the Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Home Energy Programs website or by calling 1-800-332-6347.

Delmarva Power will work with customers who may have difficulty paying their energy bill. The company offers payment options, like Budget Billing, which averages payments over a 12-month period to help customers manage their monthly energy bill, or flexible payment arrangements that offer individually tailored payment installment plans.

Customers can contact Delmarva Power at 1-800-375-7117 to ask about available resources or register for My Account, a web-based interactive tool that provides customers with a detailed analysis of their specific electric use and offers ways to save money and energy.

To learn more about Delmarva Power, visit The Source, Delmarva Power’s online news room. Find additional information by visiting delmarva.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/delmarvapower and on Twitter at twitter.com/delmarvaconnect. Delmarva Power’s mobile app is available at delmarva.com/mobileapp.

About Delmarva Power: Delmarva Power, a public utility owned by Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), provides safe and reliable energy to more than 520,000 electric delivery customers in Delaware and Maryland and approximately 132,000 natural gas delivery customers in northern Delaware.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes

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