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May 16, 2022

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

News Election 2022

Pro-Choice Maryland

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Are you concerned about the impact of the Supreme Court’s potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, in Maryland and in other states?  Want to learn more about current Maryland law on the subject of reproductive rights?  The Democratic Club of Kent County extends an invitation to all members of the community, to attend our next online meeting and learn about the work of Pro-Choice Maryland. We’ll be joined by a representative of that organization to speak on these and other topics at our Club meeting on the evening of May 19.

Pro-Choice Maryland, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, is the policy and political leader for abortion access and reproductive freedom in Maryland. PCM is the only statewide organization that focuses on policy related to reproductive healthcare while also electing lawmakers who are strong champions of abortion access. Speaking that evening will be Lily Bolourian, an Iranian American organizer and the Executive Director of Pro-Choice Maryland. Lily holds a Master’s in Health Law and Policy from Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.

The public is invited to join old friends and make new ones at this meeting, which will take place via Zoom on Thursday evening, May 19th.  The meeting will open for a social time at 6:30 pm, including a brief business meeting.  At 7:00 we’ll hear from our speaker, with an extended opportunity for questions and discussion.  Members will receive the Zoom link prior to the meeting – others please contact the club at info@dckcmd.com for an invitation to attend.

Public Workshop on End-of-Life Planning

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“I don’t want to talk about it.” “Not today.” Having a conversation about dying is not easy. Inevitably accompanied by complex emotions, discussions are easily avoided, postponed, set aside, sometimes until the opportunity has passed forever.

Yet, ultimately it is an extremely important gift you can give your family. And for you personally, the best way to reach a peaceful death is to plan ahead. Open a dialogue with your family about your wishes, and with your doctor. Studies show that over half of all Americans do not have wills. According to AARP, 78 percent of millennials (ages 18-36) and 64 percent of Generation Xers (ages 37-52) do not have a will. It is important for younger people to have wills, especially if they have children, to ensure that they’ll be cared for by the people the parents want as guardians in the event of their death. Two out of three have not completed (and shared) an advance directive, a document that will increase the likelihood that you will get the treatment you want.

The Kent County Commission on Aging and Mid-Shore Pro Bono are offering a free workshop on preparing for end-of-life on Wednesday, May 18 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., at the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center, 200 Schauber Road in Chestertown. Tim Abeska, Mid-Shore Pro Bono Volunteer Attorney, will cover topics such as wills, personal financial powers of attorney, health care advance directives, and Maryland medical orders for life-sustaining treatment.

Who will speak for you if you can’t? What are your goals at the end of life? What kind of funeral do you want, and how will it be paid for?

“You may not control life’s circumstances but getting to be the author of your life means getting control of what you do with them,” says Atul Gawande, physician and best-selling author of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.

Refreshments will be served. The Amy Lynn Ferris Center is located just off Morgnec Road past Peak Health Care. For information, call 410-778-2564.

Bay Country Chorus Seeks Women and Men of All Ages to Join

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The Bay Country Chorus is the Easton Maryland chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Since 1990 the men of the chorus have been entertaining throughout the mid-shore of Maryland. Our principal audience has been the many seniors in our community who are unable to attend live musical performances. So, we bring the music to them.

In 2018 BHS opened the membership to women of all ages. With a dynamic and energetic new director, the chorus has decided to invite ladies to join us in song creating a mixed chorus. We will continue to provide entertainment to our friends and neighbors throughout the mid-shore. This gives us an opportunity to continue this important work in bringing live music to those in senior living facilities, those in venues dealing with dementia or in rehab and to expand our performances. Men of all ages who like to sing are also invited to take a look at the chorus.

An open house will be held on Monday May 16th starting at 6:45 pm at Brookletts Place, the Talbot County Senior Center at 400 Brookletts Ave in Easton. Light refreshments will be served. An introduction to singing four-part harmony will be introduced and questions will be answered. For information, or to register please contact John Crovo, current President at 410-820-4761, jcrovo@goeaston.net.

Tidewater Inn Announces Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting for Terrasse Spa

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Tidewater Inn announces the grand reopening and official ribbon cutting of Terrasse Spa on Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. Terrasse Spa is located inside the Tidewater Inn at 101 East Dover Street, Easton, Maryland.

Terrasse Spa initially opened in June 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic. “It is time to come together as a community and truly celebrate Terrasse Spa as we officially open our doors to neighbors and guests,” said Steve Book, Director of Operations.

Experience a full-service luxury spa in the heart of downtown Easton. Terrasse Spa features four treatment rooms offering the finest treatments including restorative massage, rejuvenating facials, and invigorating body treatments. The Tidewater Inn had the vision to create a spa destination that awakens the senses by combining tranquility, relaxation, and hospitality for locals and hotel guests.

Guests enter through a beautiful enclosed terrace on Dover Street into a tranquil reception area. Following check-in, guests are escorted to the women’s and men’s locker rooms to change into custom Frette robes before making their way to the relaxation lounge. Terrasse’s relaxation lounge features multiple seating clusters featuring chaise lounges shaped to follow the body’s contours and padded to cradle in comfort. Guests can enjoy light refreshments and snacks in the relaxation lounge before and after spa treatments. Licensed massage therapists and estheticians use the highest quality products for each service.

A ribbon-cutting event will take place on Thursday, May 19 at 4:30 p.m. to celebrate the grand reopening of Terrasse Spa.

Terrasse Spa is hiring licensed massage therapists. Earn an average of $65 per hour as a massage therapist and extensive employee benefits including health insurance, 401k match, paid time off, accrued sick days, employee discounts, and more. Contact Director of Operations, Steve Book at sbook@tidewaterinn.com.

For more information, please visit www.tidewaterinn.com/terrasse-spa or call 410.822.1300. Terrasse Spa and Tidewater Inn are located at 101 East Dover Street, Easton, MD 21601.

Centreville Farmers’ Market Returns on Lawyers Row Starting May 15th

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As the days become longer and warmer the desire to seek out farm-fresh vegetables and fruits and becomes as much of a need as it does a natural tendency. Sure, you can always turn to your local grocery store in a pinch, there’s nothing like the taste of strawberries that were picked that morning. This basic premise is at the heart of farmers’ markets where customers purchase produce, meats, and value-added products like cheese and honey, and know exactly where it came from.

The Centreville Farmers’ Market continues its tradition and commitment to offering farm-fresh products to local shoppers as it opens its 2022 season on Sunday, May 15th for a 23-week season. The season will extend to October 9th, but will officially cap off the season with a special holiday market on November 13th. The market will be open every Sunday from 9 a.m. to Noon on Lawyers Row, which will be closed to traffic.

Microgreens are a vitamin enriched superfood available at the Centreville Farmers’ Market thanks to Fat and Happy Farms of Grasonville. Stop by their stand at the market and try some. Chances are you’ll get to meet Blake Jackson, left, and his brother Dylan, right, who pitch in to help their parents Brien and Jessica Jackson.

The market’s launch will include a special master gardener clinic courtesy of the University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener program. Shoppers can bring plant samples and photos for identification or Get advice on pruning, vegetables, insects, lawns, trees and shrubs and lots more! The master gardeners will visit the market frequently throughout the season.

“We are excited to welcome new vendors and are looking forward to helping our community discover new ways to shop for locally grown and crafted food as well as embrace a sustainable way of living,” says Hannah Combs, Centreville Farmers’ Market Operations Manager.

The Centreville Farmers’ Market is still accepting vendor applications as well as food truck and musician inquiries. The farmers and vendors at press time include:

  • A Shore Thing Cakery: breads, muffins, pretzels, crackers, brownies and cookies;
  • Beneventi Botanicals: herbal truffles, gran-free dog treats, lotions, balms, and assorted bath products;
  • Carrie Sue’s Cupcakes: cupcakes and baked goods;
  • Chesapeake Shoppe: handcrafted jewelry and other crafted goods;
  • Craft Bakery & Cafe + Night Kitchen Coffee: sourdough breads, bagels, croissants, danish, scones, cookies, coffee and coffee beans, lemonade and iced tea;
  • Dogwood Lane Dairy: 14 different varieties of handcrafted cheese and peach, strawberry and apple jam;
  • Enoch Farms: pork, ham, scrapple, and sausage;
  • Fat and Happy Farms: microgreens, seasonal produce, herbs, and native perennial flowers;
  • Little Cake Empire: cinnamon buns, bagels and bread;
  • Harris Farms: vegetables, fruits, and cut flowers;
  • Nine Chicks and One Hen: eggs;
  • Rosy Side Farm: vegetables and cut flowers.

For more information about the Centreville Farmers’ Market or to request a vendor application or to inquire about food truck or musician openings, contact Hannah Combs, Farmers’ Market Operations Manager at centrevillefarmersmkt@gmail.com or (443) 239-9169.

Compass’ Grief 101 Workshops

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Grief reactions are often intricate and complex. When you add that your loved one died from an overdose, accidental or not, or death by suicide, it complicates matters. There are myriad emotions that occur when someone dies, but when the death is from an overdose or suicide, the most difficult ones rise to the surface. If you have experienced the death of a loved one from an overdose or substance abuse or suicide your reactions may be unlike anything you have ever experienced.  Your feelings and reactions are common in what feels like an abnormal situation or uncharted waters.

If you have experienced these or continue to experience these, please know that the intensity and duration changes over time.   Often, understanding the grief process can help you navigate these unchartered waters.  We would like to invite you to join us for a Grief 101 Workshop, that focuses on the unique grief that surrounds the death of someone who has passed due to a substance overdose or suicide.  Compass is offering two opportunities to participate:

Location: Kent County Community Center
Address: 11041 Worton Rd.
Date: Tuesday, May 24th
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Register by May 20th

Location: The Barnett Center (Compass)
Address: 255 Comet Drive, Centreville, Md 21623
Date: Thursday, June 2nd
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Register by May 27th

For more information or to register please reach to Rhonda Knotts at rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org or 443.262.4120.

Compass

Since 1985, Compass has been allowing patients to spend their final months the way they choose, guiding loved ones after a life-limiting diagnosis, and showing individuals healthy ways to manage their grief. Today, the organization is a regional provider of hospice care, supportive care, and grief services in Caroline, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties. Whether serving their patients in private residences, skilled nursing facilities, or Compass’ residential center in Centreville, staff and volunteers are guided by their mission to ensure that individuals facing end of life can live out their days in a full and meaningful way.

Compass is a fully licensed, independent, community-based nonprofit organization certified by Medicare and the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission. It is affiliated with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland.

Are you interested in setting up a planned gift? Leave a legacy of caring by making a planned gift to Compass. This could in remembering Compass in your will, naming them as a beneficiary in a life insurance policy, charitable gift annuities, and more. To learn more about planned giving opportunities to Compass, please contact Kenda Leager at kleager@compassregionalhospice.org or 443-262-4106. For more information about Compass, call 443-262-4100 or visit compassregionalhospice.org.

Piano Trio Set for Series Finale

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Last chance for some great music as the Fred Hughes Trio closes out the Friday Night Jazz Club series at Easton’s historic Waterfowl Building on May 27 at 7 p.m. Hailed for its “talent, technique and taste” by JazzTimes Magazine, the trio features Fred Hughes on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Keith Killgo on drums. Presented by Jazz Alive, the Friday Night Jazz Club series features an intimate club setting with candlelit tables and a cash bar—the series’ last show sold out, so go to jazz-alive.org soon for tickets.

The Fred Hughes Trio got its start in the jazz clubs of Washington, DC in 1989 and by 1996 was flourishing with performances at that year’s Summer Olympics, the Elkhart, Rehoboth, and Cape May jazz festivals as well as becoming the rhythm section for groups including the Vaughn Nark Quintet and Tim Eyermann’s East Coast Offering. 1996 also marked the release of the trio’s first recording, “Out of the Blue.”

Fred Hughes on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Keith Killgo on drums.

Since then, the group has performed with such artists as Claudio Roditi, Jon Fedchock, Warren Vache and Larry Coryell.  A sampling of its other performing credentials includes the East Coast, Clifford Brown and Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festivals, tours to the Republic of Korea in 2001 and 2002, and clubs and concert venues from Toronto to Orlando.

In addition to “Out of the Blue,” the trio has issued seven more recordings. Its 2015 holiday release “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” received 5 Stars from Amazon.com, 3 ½ stars from DownbeatMagazine and garnered considerable radio airplay – – finishing out 2015 in the number 5 slot on the CMJ Jazz Radio Chart. Its 2016 release “Matrix” spent 5 weeks in the #1 spot on the Top 50 Jazz Album Chart at Roots Music Report and made the Top 5 of the Roots Music Report’s Top Jazz Albums for 2017.

The May 27 concert takes place at the Waterfowl Building, 40 S. Harrison Street in Easton.  Tickets are $28 and available at jazz-alive.org or at the door the day of the event if there’s availability. Students attend free with a Student ID. Proceeds from ticket and concession sales support Jazz Alive’s mission of providing educational support in developing future artists and preserving this great art form through school and community programs.

For More Information: Fred Hughes (202) 999-8687 |Fred.Hughes@jazz-alive.org| www.Jazz-Alive.org

Chestertown RiverArts Announces New Executive Director

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Chris Sade

The Board of Directors at Chestertown RiverArts is proud to announce the appointment of its new Executive Director, Chris Sade. Sade will assume the organization’s leadership in May 2022.

Sade is uniquely suited to fulfill RiverArt’s mission to grow community, creativity, and connection through the arts. A passionate music lover with deep expertise in the fine arts world, Sade is committed to serving the RiverArts community. “As RiverArts Executive Director, I would like to promote togetherness,” Sade said. “I want RiverArts to create even more diverse ways to connect with the RA members, volunteers, local artists, businesses, and local organizations.”

Sade brings 20 years of professional experience in the fine art moving, shipping, and storage industry to RiverArts. In addition to managing a large and diverse national team that provided services for museums, galleries, and private collectors, Sade also directed sales, marketing and business management.

In 2015, Sade and his wife, Marianne, moved to Chestertown. Here Sade continued to explore his passion for jazz with a position in curation and sales at the Listening Room, where he was welcomed by Chestertown’s musicophile community. It’s an experience Sade is committed to creating formally in his new role.

“Becoming the Executive Director of RiverArts provides me the opportunity to utilize my life skills in the arts while making connections with the wonderful people who live or travel here,” Sade said. “I believe this will be a very satisfying experience, watching people come together for art’s sake. I can see a bright future for the arts in Kent County, and I want to be part of it.”

Sade will begin his tenure at RiverArts on May 16th, 2022. A welcoming reception for members interested in meeting Sade is currently in planning by the organization’s Board of Directors in mid-June, 2022.

2022 marks Chestertown RiverArts’ 10th Anniversary Celebration. Since 2012, the organization has provided arts classes, workshops, exhibitions, events and outreach, serving its mission to grow community, creativity, and connection through the arts. For more information about RiverArts organization or about the upcoming 10th anniversary events, visit: https://community.chestertownriverarts.org/

A New Home with an Inspiring Story

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Tamyra-Dupre Jones and Eugene Jones outside their new home. Photo by John Guthrie.

“It’s a beautiful home,” declared Tamyra Dupree-Jones and Eugene Jones. They were describing their new house on Lambs Meadow Road in Worton, a well-earned reward for their unwavering determination and self-discipline. Kent Attainable Housing (KAH) partnered with the family to help them overcome the hurdles that prevent many families whose income is below the county’s Annual Median Income (AMI) from becoming homeowners. Sharing the house are Tamyra’s mother, who has limited mobility and their 11 year-old daughter. The home is designed with special features, including a wheelchair ramp, strategically placed LED lights in the office area, and outdoor flood lights with motion sensors.

“We started saving in 2016, and gave ourselves five years to pay down our debt. I had to stop working in 2018 due to a vision loss, but we continued to budget in a much stricter way,” said Tamyra. “I leveraged my background in accounting, and my husband and I had a monthly meeting to review our budget and bills.” Recounting their journey, the couple kept coming back to the importance of saving. “We asked ourselves, ‘Is it a needed cost, or can it wait’? There are sacrifices, but the light at the end of the tunnel was getting this house.”

In 2020, the Jones connected with KAH, which arranged classes that included budgeting, buying a home, debt reduction and qualifying for a loan. Together, they developed an action play with goals and milestones. “KAH is deeply gratified to have played this role in helping such a deserving couple fulfill their dream,” said Taylor Frey, President of the KAH Board of Directors. Our work would not be possible without the commitment of our incredible volunteers and supporters.”

Tamyra praised all the KAH volunteers, starting with Dave and Ed Minch who designed the house to be engineered and constructed by a modular home builder. Upon Ed’s untimely death, Bob Ingersoll took over as the Construction Lead and completed the house supported by volunteers, Peter Sweetser, Zane Carter, Brooke Harwood, and Tom Lentell among others. Together they cleared the land, hauled away tons of debris, completed the foundation, shored up the completed modules, finished the interior trim and built the deck and wheelchair ramp. Eugene and other volunteers joined in to paint the interior of the house. ShoreRivers will donate a river-friendly yard to this KAH project this spring.

Board Director, Pastor Leon Frison, who encouraged the family to apply, said “Eugene and Tamyra are an inspiring example of what can be accomplished with determination and persistence.” Frison stressed that “the process can be long and applicants need to be patient, but with the kind of effort made by this family, homeownership can be in one’s future.“ More than forty families are participating in the process with KAH to learn about buying a home, managing their finances and qualifying for a mortgage.

The Jones’ new home awaiting landscaping. Photo by John Guthrie.

While the Jones family was preparing to move into their new home, a corps of KAH volunteers was hard at work completing the interior renovation of the third house that Kent Attainable Housing had bought to rehab and sell to one of its applicant families. This summer, KAH will begin work on their fourth house in Chestertown, using a $75,000 grant received from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Kent Attainable Housing believes that expanding homeownership in Kent County builds foundations for healthier, happier families and a stronger community. For more information about Kent Attainable Housing, Inc., go to kentattainablehousing.org or email kentattainablehousing@gmail.com.

Bluegrass Headliners “Della Mae” in Concert at the Mainstay

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Della Mae

On Friday, May 27, the Mainstay in Rock Hall, in partnership with the Hedgelawn Foundation, welcomes bluegrass headliner, Della Mae to their stage.

Della Mae is a GRAMMY-nominated, bluegrass band that formed in Boston in 2009. Their name, “Della Mae” comes from the song, “Big Spike Hammer,” a bluegrass classic famously recorded by the Osborne Brothers. The all-women band consists of founder and fiddle player Kimber Ludiker, lead vocalist/guitarist Celia Woodsmith, guitarist Avril Smith, bassist Vickie Vaughn, and mandolinist Maddie Witler. They have shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Dr. John and Alison Krauss. Their second album, This World Oft Can Be, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 56th Grammy Awards ceremony. Bandleader Ludiker comments that the band is at heart more focused on producing a powerful finished body of work that their vocal prowess and technical virtuosity contribute to rather than just showing off their considerable technical talent. They have performed as Bluegrass headliners in more than thirty states at festivals, performing arts venues and clubs and teaching at workshops and music camps. In the fall of 2012, they were commissioned as an American Music Abroad alumni band that brought them on tour through Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where they received rave reviews from embassy staff and program audiences alike.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $25 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $30 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are also supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.