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May 29, 2022

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

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Health Health Notes News News Notes

For All Seasons Offers Free Community Talk on Parenting

May 27, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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For All Seasons will present a free community talk, “You Have What It Takes,” presented by local author and expert trainer Lynn Sanchez, M.Ed. for parents and caregivers on June 9 at 7 p.m. in-person at The Avalon Theatre in Easton, Maryland, and streaming virtually on Facebook Live @forallseasonsinc.

Lynn Sanchez

Pictured above is Lynn Sanchez, mother of three, author, and former Assistant Director of an Early Childhood Development Center, who will present a free community talk, “You Have What it Takes,” for parents and caregivers on Thursday, June 9 at 7 p.m. in-person at The Avalon Theatre in Easton.

Being a parent today can feel like a story of survival. Between a global pandemic that changed the way we live, the rise of children’s mental health issues, and the often oppressive presence of technology, it’s no wonder many parents feel like they are barely keeping it all together. Lynn, the mother of three, is helping parents and caregivers across the region shift their mindset to understand that they already have what it takes to guide their children to a place of joy and resilience.

She will use her own, often comical, parenting stories, and her decades of experience to help parents relax, build their self-awareness and confidence, and most importantly to enjoy the amazing parenting journey. Participants will gain a refreshing perspective that includes understanding their parenting styles and gaining new tools and strategies to lighten the parenting load today.

“I kept looking at parents working so hard and enjoying it so little,” she shares when talking about her motivation for writing the book.

“I was not brilliant as a mother, I was a survivor. I learned to rely on my gut while raising my three boys, whom I had over four and a half years while my husband was in medical school. Funny things happened in our family along the way,” she quips.

Lynn earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in childhood development from Florida State University. Her professional career has been multifaceted with experience in the Montessori school system, educational therapy in a children’s psychiatric institute, and positions of assistant professor of early childhood at Chesapeake College. She also worked with the T. Berry Brazelton Touchpoints program as a site coordinator.

The book, Behind the Brussels Sprouts, has appeal for all ages as it awakens reflections in older adults about how they were parented and how that impacted their parenting. Lynn explains that the book is named after brussels sprouts because her boys didn’t like them. So, every time the family moved, she hid her favorite foods in the freezer behind the brussels sprouts – a place the boys would never look.

Every attendee will receive a free copy of Behind the Brussels Sprouts, which is being published and released by the For All Seasons’ Center for Learning. Virtual attendees can order a free book to be mailed while supplies last. Register: at http://youhavewhatittakes.eventbrite.com.

Filed Under: Health Notes, News Notes

Huzzah! Chestertown Tea Party This Weekend

May 26, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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The festival kicks off Friday evening, May 27 at 5 PM with a block party at the foot of High Street. Hosted by Main Street Chestertown, the block party features the Best Kept Soul Band, with food trucks and libations.

Saturday, May 28, brings a full slate of activities beginning at 10 AM with the Colonial Parade. There are Heritage Village demonstrations and military maneuvers at the Court House, children’s activities, food and artisan craft vendors. musical performances including the popular country/bluegrass group Country Current, and the highlight: the Tea Toss Reenactment at 2PM,

New this year, the Chestertown Tea Party Festival presents pyro-musical fireworks Saturday at dusk – shot from  Wilmer Park.

Sunday’s events in Wilmer Park begin at noon, featuring family friendly activities, more than 50 artisan crafts vendors, food trucks and a Beer Fest with new grass band The Wilson Springs Hotel.  Don’t miss the infamous Raft Race, beginning at 2:30.

For a full schedule of events, please visit the Chestertown Tea Party Festival website at www.chestertownteaparty.org.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: Chestertown Spy, local news, Tea Party

Rock Hall Summer Shuttle Returns

May 23, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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The Rock Hall summer shuttle will be back in action Friday, May 27 thanks to Kent County Local Management Board coordinator Dawson Hunter and Rock Hall businessman Rick Carter.

With the Rock Hall town council’s blessing, the shuttle will offer more than a dozen stops throughout town to serve residents, tourists, and boaters at the many marinas in the area. The shuttle will operate Fridays and Saturdays from 5-11pm. Currently, the shuttle is scheduled to run to October 8.

A Rock Hall-Tolchester-Chestertown shuttle route will also be announced this week pending funding approval from the Kent County commissioners. According to Hunter, the expanded route is penciled in for the 2023 budget.

Hunter, Housing and Transportation Coordinator for KCLMB, tells the Spy that the summer shuttle will serve two purposes: transportation and data gathering. Data will help determine the feasibility of a long term county transportation expansion to connect county townships.

Round Trip tickets are $5, Day Passes are $10, and Season Passes are $100. The Rock Hall loop begins at Ford’s Seafood at the top of each hour.

Check the bus schedule here.

 

Filed Under: News Notes

Chestertown Lions Club Holds Vision Days Awareness

May 18, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Photo (left to right) John Lawrence, Lions Vision Research Foundation Trustee, and Lion Lee Hunley discuss the many ways Lions support vision programs for those with vision impairment.

The third weekend, April 14-16, 2022, was proclaimed by Chestertown Mayor Mr. David Foster as “Lions Vision Days.” Nineteen Lions Club members staffed four sites in Chestertown- JBK, Redners, Molly’s, and Farmers Market. Rick Coffman, Vision Days event chair, reported that the community learned how Lions support vision impairment not only locally but through regional and national programs.

Local vision programs include:

  • Buying eyeglasses for the needy.
  • Transporting patients to and from eye doctor appointments.
  • Conducting vision screening for school children.
  • Providing eyeglass collection sites for eyeglass recycling.

Regionally, Lions support the Lions Vision Research Foundation (LVRF), which was founded in 1988 and encompasses Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. LVRF supports research, training, and patient care at the Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center of the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, MD.

Nationally, the Leader Dog for the Blind Program, founded in 1939 by the Lions, is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Since its establishment, the program has paired over 14,500 dogs with the visually impaired worldwide, making it one of the largest organizations.

For more information about other local projects, the Lions Club supports, please reach out to Henry Hart, Club President, at henryashtonhart@gmail.com.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: Chestertown Spy, local news

Celebrate with CBMM at the Maryland Dove Dock Party

May 15, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

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Maryland Dove is craned into the water at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Photo by George Sass.

The public is invited to help the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum celebrate its construction of the new Maryland Dove with a dock party!

CBMM’s St. Michaels, Md., campus opens at 10am on Saturday, May 28, and the festivities start at 11am. Food, drinks, and live music will be on site for guests to enjoy and CBMM’s shipwrights will give talks on rigging and the construction process throughout the day. At 2pm, officials from CBMM and Historic St. Mary’s City will lead us in a toast to the ship.

This event will also mark the return of drop-in cruises aboard 1920 buyboatWinnieEstelle, which depart from CBMM’s campus at 12:30pm, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the summer. Boarding passes, which are limited, cost $10 for adults, $5 for CBMM members, $3 for children 6–17, and free for all member children and non-member children 5 and under.

Entrance to the Maryland Dove Dock Party itself is included with general admission and is free for CBMM members.

In 2018, it was announced that CBMM had been selected to build a brand-new Maryland Dove for Historic St. Mary’s City. The ship, a representation of the late 17th-century trading ship that accompanied the first European settlers to what is now Maryland, is owned by the state of Maryland, and operated and maintained by the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission. An earlier version of the ship, built in the 1970s by Cambridge’s Jim Richardson, was nearing the end of its useful life and decades of new research meant that a new ship could be designed to be a more historically accurate representation of the original Maryland Dove.

 Since that first announcement, construction of the iconic state ship has been the central focus of CBMM’s working Shipyard. Work over the past few years, all done in public view, has seen the new ship move from concept to reality, and Maryland Dove will now remain dockside for the final steps in its construction, and throughout the summer. Visit cbmm.org to learn more.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, local news

A New Home with an Inspiring Story

May 11, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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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.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: Chestertown Spy, Kent Attainable Housing, local news

The Caroline Foundation Accepting Grant Requests

May 10, 2022 by Mid-Shore Community Foundation Leave a Comment

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The Caroline Foundation, in partnership with the Mid-ShoreCommunity Foundation, invites organizations that provide medical and/or health-related services to residents of Caroline County, Maryland to apply for FY2023 grant funding.

Applicants must be nonprofit corporations with IRS tax-exempt status, or government-related entities.  Applications are online at http://www.mscf.org/caroline-foundation. The deadline for submission of FY2023 grant applications is midnight, July 1, 2022.

Grant decisions and distributions will be made in October, 2022.  The Caroline Foundation retains the right to accept or reject applications, suggest changes, and support grant requests in full, in part, or not at all.

Organizations that would like additional information about The Caroline Foundation’s grants process should contact Buck Duncan or Robbin Hill at the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, 410-820-8175  or info@mscf.org.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: grants, local news, Mid-Shore Community Foundation

Haven Ministries Opens Homes of Hope in Stevensville

May 6, 2022 by Amy Blades Steward Leave a Comment

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Haven Ministries is addressing the urgent need for affordable housing in Queen Anne’s County this spring with the opening of two new single-family homes located in Stevensville.  What has been 20 years in the making, the “Homes of Hope” will provide real hope to those participating in Haven Ministries Housing Assistance Program.

Built in the middle of the pandemic, these two 1700-square-foot single-family homes were completed because of generous donations from local businesses of materials and services totaling over $150,000.

“Even though we were living in uncertain times, people in our community stepped up to donate so that someone less fortunate could have shelter – one of our basic human needs. People like Jim Moran, owner of Increte of Maryland, Inc. and Brad Lundberg, President of Lundberg Builders and 314 Design Studio, helped to coordinate the supplier donations on the project. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the giving these two men solicited,” comments Krista Pettit, Executive Director of Haven Ministries.

Photo: Representatives of the area business who donated materials and services to building Homes of Hope in Queen Anne’s County include left to right Brad Lundberg with Lundberg Builders and 314 Design Studio; Krista Pettit, Executive Director of Haven Ministries; Jack Wilson with Absolute Fire Protection, JTW Building Services LLC, C2 Foam Insulation, and a Queen Anne’s County Commissioner; and Jim Moran with Increte of Maryland, Inc. and a Queen Anne’s County Commissioner.

Jim Moran, also a project donor and a Queen Anne’s County Commissioner At-Large, states, “This project has been a long time coming. I got involved eight years ago and have been donating ever since. These homes have been funded through donations, a $150,000 grant from Queen Anne’s County, as well as state funding. Haven Ministries does a tremendous job and has built this organization from nothing into a model program.”

Moran was raised in Bowie, Maryland and his parents instilled in him charity as a child. His military experience overseas also exposed him to those less fortunate and has been a motivator for his philanthropy as well.

“I learned early through my faith about charity. The quote, ‘The measure of a community is how they care for the least of the community,’ has always resonated with me. I have been blessed to have a successful company and a loving family. We can always do more.”

Through the Homes of Hope, Haven Ministries will be able to provide clients with affordable housing while leading them to a permanent housing solution. While participating in the Housing Assistance Program, participants will work closely with a Haven Ministries case manager to ensure that they are positioned for success to secure safe and stable long-term housing once their respective program period is over, usually within two years.

Individuals and families who live in Queen Anne’s County can apply for the program, must pass the background checks, pay a program fee, and voluntarily agree to work with a case manager. Haven Ministries will connect participants to area resources such as education, jobs, and job training, allowing individuals and families to stabilize, build up their resources, and successfully move on toward safe and affordable housing.

Housing instability can include trouble paying rent or a mortgage, moving frequently due to the lack of affordable housing, or spending a majority of household income on housing. The construction for Homes of Hope and the Housing Assistance Program are being funded by private donations and grants, including those from foundations made directly to Haven Ministries, and through major fundraising activities. A program fee will also be collected from the Housing Assistance Program clients approved for the program.

Haven Ministries will continue to operate its seasonal shelter at Kent Island Methodist Church in Stevensville to offer emergency overnight safe and warm accommodations for individuals and families that do not have a dedicated location in which to sleep. Although both of these programs are important programs, they each serve a different population of community members with different needs.

Moran concludes, “I used my contacts in the industry to help fund this project. No one said ‘no’ when they were asked to contribute. Each of the following sponsors sees the value of helping others.”

“This project has been a community project from the start. Several things have been donated from the initial demolition to Delmarva Power donating their labor for electricity hook-up to the local plumbers and electricians donating their labor and materials – the generosity has been overwhelming,” adds Lundberg.

Sponsors for Haven Ministries Homes of Hope were 314 Design Studio, ABC Supply Co Inc., A Plus Sanitation, Absolute Fire Protection, Inc., Annapolis Exteriors, . Bill Thomas, C2 Foam, Capital Electric, Chesapeake Environmental Labs, Inc., Choice Stairways, Matt Cole with Cole Ventures, Delmarva Power, Dress Your Windows, Economy Pest Control, Inc., ED Supply, Ernest Maier Companies, Ferguson, F.A. Hobson Landscaping, Inc., Friel Lumber, Increte of Maryland, Inc., Island Floors, Jack Wilson, Jr. Electrical Services, JTW Building Services LLC, KI True Value, Lane Engineering, Lifetime Well Drilling, Lindy J Jones Plumbing and Heating Contractors, Lowes, Lundberg Builders, O’Berry Engineering, Inc., Palmer’s Plumbing, Patuxent Materials, Patuxent Roll-Off, R.B. Bakers, R and D Electric, Puckett’s Heating and  Air Conditioning, Rental Works, Torchio Architects, Universal Supply Co., W Scot Jones Mechanical Contractor, and White’s Custom Concepts.

Special thanks goes to the following organizations who contributed funding: Queen Anne’s County Commissioners, Weinberg Foundation, Salmon Foundation, Bank of America Foundation, May Foundation, Trust Foundation of Maryland, Legislative Bond Grant, Keller Giving, Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Grant, Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and many individual donors.

For further information about donating to this important project, visit haven-ministries.org. For information about applications for the Homes of Hope, call 410-739-7859.

Love shapes the ministry, love transforms people, and hope prevails at Haven Ministries.  Haven Ministries operates a seasonal Homeless Shelter, a Resource Center and Food Pantry in Queenstown, Our Daily Thread Thrift Store in Chester, Hope Warehouse in Queenstown, and a Food Pantry Truck in Sudlersville.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: Haven Ministries, local news

Chestertown Lions Club Holds Another Successful Draw for Sight Bicycle Poker Run

May 5, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Cyclists take a breather at the Chestertown Railroad Station before resuming their ride.

On April 24, 2022, the Chestertown Lions Club held its “Draw for Sight Poker Ride” fundraiser. Approximately 100 riders took part in this fun ride, an annual tune-up ride for area cyclists from throughout the region. Riders follow a 36 to 60-mile course through historic Chestertown and the beautiful towns and farmland of upper Kent County. Excitement builds as riders draw cards at five food stops to create the best poker hand. Food stops were set up at Worton-Kent County Park, Chestertown Railroad Station, Galena Methodist Church, Urieville Lake, and Turner’s Creek.

The funds generated from the ride support many Lions Club vision programs, primarily in Kent County. These programs include preschool eye screening for elementary school students, free rides to and from eye doctor’s appointments, purchase of eyeglasses for those who cannot afford them, recycling of used eyeglasses, and support for the national Leader Dog for the Blind Program.

For more information about other local projects, the Lions Club supports, please reach out to Henry Hart, Club President, at henryashtonhart@gmail.com.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: Chestertown Spy, local news

Cambridge YMCA to Host Mentorship Program for High School Student Athletes

May 5, 2022 by YMCA of the Chesapeake Leave a Comment

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Beginning June 7th, the YMCA in Cambridge, MD will play host to the J Noah Skills Academy, a unique mentorship program for high school student athletes.

The J Noah Skills Academy is a nonprofit organization founded by Jordan Pearlstein, a college basketball player and longtime mentor who received his Certified Associate in Project Management designation from the Project Management Institute.  Pearlstein combined all of these experiences to develop an innovative approach to mentorship.

The Academy provides student athletes with a free, fun way to learn practical project management skills that are highly desired by employers.  The project management concepts are taught through the lens of basketball to help these students better relate to and understand the material.  Exposing high schoolers to the principles of project management provides them with knowledge, self-awareness, and self-assessment to enable them to start and finish projects in all aspects of their lives.  Possessing post-college level skills before they even graduate high school increases a J Noah student’s likelihood of both personal and professional success.

The curriculum is based on frameworks provided by the Project Management Institute.  Each student enrolled at the J Noah Skills Academy works with their mentor to create a personalized Mentee Action Plan.  The student uses project management skills to identify and achieve academic, athletic, and personal goals, and the action plan establishes processes for requesting any help and resources they need.

While Pearlstein started his program nearly a year ago, he had difficulty identifying a steady location that had basketball courts, study space, and the technological capabilities that would enable him to teach the full curriculum.  After meeting with Pearlstein about this unique program, Executive Director Shania Gregory offered him space at the Pauline F. and W. David Robbins Family YMCA.

“I am very excited,” Pearlstein says.  “The YMCA has everything we need for our students to get the most impact from our program.  I am so grateful to Shania for giving us this opportunity to change young lives for the better.”

As a nonprofit organization, the J Noah Skills Academy is a free service for student-athletes.  Once enrolled in the Academy, students will participate in three sessions per week throughout the summer – Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.  To learn more, enroll your child, volunteer, or make a donation, visit jnoahskills.org or contact Jordan Pearlstein at contact@jnoahskills.org or 608-208-3919.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: local news, YMCA of the Chesapeake

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