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March 26, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

News News Notes

Presentation Hosted by League of Women Voters of Kent County

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The League of Women Voters of Kent County will sponsor a presentation, Kent County Public Schools and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, by Mr.Tom Porter, Assistant Coordinator of Accountability and Implementation for Kent County Public Schools. Mr. Porter will discuss the Blueprint, what it is, the challenges it presents to our schools and what KCPS is doing to meet those challenges.

The program will be held on April 19, 2023, 7:00 p.m., at Emmanuel Episcopal Church at 101 Cross Street, Chestertown. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer period. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required by emailing kentcountylwv@gmail.com.Please include Annual Meeting Reservation in the subject line of your email.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to promoting informed and active citizen participation in government; it does not support or oppose any political parties or candidates for office.

United Way of Kent County To Host Bocce Tournament

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United Way of Kent County (UWKC) will hold a fund-raising bocce tournament on Saturday, April 1, from 12 to 5 at Wilmer Park in Chestertown. The rain date is April 2.  Registration and donation information is posted on the UWKC website. All ages are welcome. No prior experience with the game is required.

Teams will compete for prizes, while taking advantage of the opportunity to practice for the upcoming league season. The charge is $25 per team member, with a maximum of 24 teams and at least 4 players per team, but teams can have as many team members as they like!

There will be two overall prizes; 1 for the Game and 1 for the Community!  The Team with the greatest UWKC donation AFTER round 1 will receive a BYE in round 2! The Community prize will go to the team that raises the most money for Health, Education and Financial stability for all Kent County residents. Winners will be able to enjoy a trip on the River Packet together! Players are encouraged to obtain sponsorships.

‘Morning, Noon, & Night’ Food truck will be at the event 12-5pm selling food. Beer and Water will be available and you can BYOB!

Donations may be made at any time via the website unitedwayofkentcounty.org or by mail to United Way of Kent County, P.O. Box 594, Chestertown, MD 21620.

Kent County Health Disparities Grant Allows Rebuilding Together Volunteers to Provide Rock Hall Neighbor with a New Ramp

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Since its inception in 2004, Rebuilding Together Kent County has installed dozens of stick-built wheelchair ramps for neighbors in Kent County, thus contributing to its local reputation as “the ramp people,” despite the many other types of repair work Rebuilding Together has engaged in over nearly 20 years.

At an award luncheon for Qlarant Foundation grantees last year, Rebuilding Together Kent County staff were inspired by an aluminum ramp program offered by Bay Hundred Community Volunteers in Talbot County. With their help and also guidance from Rebuilding Together-Lincoln County in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, who has been installing aluminum ramps for several years, the organization decided to shift its focus from stick-built ramps to aluminum ramps.

(From L to R) Brian and Debbie Toth, Joanne Boyle, Ginny Gorman, Bill Shrieves, Bernie Miller, and Larry Dinoff. Not pictured is Bill Flook. The “50” candles on the cake represent the fact that this was Bay Hundred’s fiftieth aluminum ramp installation!

This was a smart decision for a number of reasons: aluminum ramps offer a high-quality material with a modular design that allows for flexibility and customization; they are durable and require little maintenance; and, they are able to be assembled easily by trained volunteers. Moreover, when the homeowner no longer requires the ramp, Rebuilding Together Kent County can retrieve the parts, clean them thoroughly, and reuse them for another neighbor with mobility challenges, truly making this a gift that keeps on giving!

Bill Shrieves from Bay Hundred Community Volunteers and Ms. F, trying out her new ramp.

Thanks to a Health Disparities Grant from the Kent County Health Department, on Wednesday, March, 22, 2023, Rebuilding Together officially “ramped up” its game when it launched its Lifetime Loaned Ramp Program. Despite a chilly start to the day, eight volunteers gathered to ensure Mrs. F, a Rock Hall neighbor recovering from hip surgery, can get safely in and out of the home where she has lived since it was built 55 years ago.

Bill Shrieves, who spearheads the aluminum ramp builds for Bay Hundred, was joined by his fellow Bay Hundred volunteer, Bernie Miller, to train the local crew on the proper way to get the job done for the Rock Hall homeowner. Larry Dinoff, Vice President of the Board of Rebuilding Together Kent County, took advantage of their expertise by participating in one of their projects last year, and observed them closely as they managed the flow effortlessly on Wednesday. In just two-and-a-half hours, this generous group assembled the ramp and made a huge impact. That pace would not have been possible with wooden construction.

Joanne Boyle, one of the six local volunteers, summed it up by saying, “Thanks to sound planning by Rebuilding Together Kent County and under the expert tutelage of Bill and Bernie from Bay Hundred Community Volunteers, the first aluminum ramp build went without a hitch! As a new volunteer, I found the team work both inspiring and fun. But the best part, by far, was seeing the happy homeowner when we were done.”

Rebuilding Together Kent County’s mission is repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. They leverage gifts of time, money, skill and labor to repair and rehabilitate homes for income-eligible seniors, veterans, those living with disabilities, and families with children in Kent County. They are dedicated to ending substandard housing. All work is done at no cost to homeowners who meet the eligibility criteria. This is an equal opportunity program. Learn more at RebuildingTogetherKCMD.org.

Elementary Registration Days Next Month

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Registration opens next month for Kent County Public Schools’ pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs.

The school system offers full-day pre-K at all three of elementary schools. Pre-K is open to students who will be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1.

To register for the 2023-24 school year, contact your child’s home school to schedule an appointment.

“Children that attend Kent County Public Schoolspre-K programs are significantly more likely to be fully ready for kindergarten,” said Director of Teaching and Learning Gina Jachimowicz. “The KCPS 4-year-old students love to engage in their classroom learning environments as they build key skills like getting along with others and managing their own behaviors.”

Registration for Kent County Public Schools pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs will be held next month. Call your child’s home school to schedule an appointment for registration day.

Galena Elementary School’s registration will be held Tuesday, April 18; call 410-810-2510 for an appointment.

Rock Hall Elementary School registration is set for Wednesday, April 19; call 410-810-2622.

Registration for H.H. Garnet Elementary School in Chestertown is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25; call 410-778-6890.

Families should bring to their registration appointment the following documents:

  • the child’s birth certificate
  • completed Immunization and Health Inventory forms
  • proof of residence, such as a utility bill, tax bill or lease agreement
  • the child’s Social Security card
  • the child’s health insurance card
  • the parent’s driver’s license or government-issued photo ID
  • proof of custody if not a birth parent.

Families registering for pre-K are asked to provide income information as part of the registration process. Information on service options and programs will be provided to those who qualify.

The school system is asking families to bring their children with them to registration appointments this year.

The State of Maryland requires children to attend kindergarten before entering first grade, with some exceptions. All children who turn 5 years old before Sept. 1 are required to register and attend kindergarten.

Visit www.kent.k12.md.us/EarlyChildhoodEducation.aspx for additional information about the elementary schools or call your elementary school with any questions.

Echo Hill Outdoor School Announces New Waterfront Exhibit

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Chestertown’s waterfront just got a lot more interesting, thanks to a new outdoor exhibit created by Echo Hill Outdoor School. Along the dock near the Outdoor School’s floating fleet, a new series of signs, interactive stations and displays tell the story of the Chesapeake’s working waterfronts, vessels, maritime communities and culture.

The exhibit, developed in partnership with Locust Grove Studios, uses the School’s historic vessels to explore the ways the Chesapeake historic environment shaped the region’s people and places. Eight signs in total tell the stories of skipjack Elsworth, bateau Ric and buyboat Annie D, and detail bygone Black maritime communities like Chestertown’s Scott’s Point. Other signs share the biographies of boatbuilder Stanley Vansant and writer Gilbert Byron, and discuss the history of oystering, steamboats, and more. An introductory panel provides an overview of the School’s mission and history. Additional “fun facts” provide extra information, and several of the signs are capped with boat silhouettes that provide visitors with a full side view of the historic vessels.

In addition to the exhibit panels, dockside visitors can test their skills of knot tying on an interactive rope display, and an oyster dredge, winch, crane and oyster bushel display suggests the oystering heyday of Elsworth and Annie D.

To ensure maximum accessibility for exhibit visitors, Echo Hill Outdoor School also upgraded the decking on the piers and finger piers where the exhibit is installed. Completed during the first summer of the pandemic when Echo Hill Outdoor School was closed, the work was finished by Outdoor School staff on a volunteer basis.

Currently, the exhibit is fully open to the public, and Chestertown visitors are encouraged to stop by and take in the panels, history, and stories of the Chesapeake’s past. And new panels will soon join the waterfront signage. Associate Director Andrew McCown, who spearheaded the project, is currently working on additional panels for the exhibit that explore the Chester River’s steamboat history and the future of the Chesapeake environment.

For Executive Director Peter Rice, this exhibit is a natural extension of the School’s environmental programs. “Echo Hill Outdoor School’s historic floating fleet serve as our environmental classrooms and provide a way for our participants to connect to the Bay’s unique history and culture. These new signs let us share the ways the Chesapeake environment has shaped lives for generations with the greater community, right in downtown Chestertown.”

Echo Hill Outdoor School was established in 1972 in Kent County, Maryland to provide outdoor education programs to students and teachers from throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Specializing in immersive, experiential programs, Echo Hill Outdoor School’s classes can be customized to the needs of different school groups.  For more information, or to arrange a program, visit ehos.org or call 410-348-5880.

Chestertown Lions Club Roadside Trash Pickup

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The Chestertown Lions Club will be performing their annual roadside trash pickup on March 23rd, from 9 am to noon along SR 213 from Sparkle Pools northward to the Chestertown Bridge.  Drivers are asked to please be aware of pedestrians along those areas doing this public service — and please refrain from littering. Thanks from the Chestertown Lions.

Kent County Dems Club March Meeting: Moms Demand Action

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The public is invited to the March 16 meeting of the Democratic Club of Kent County, for an interesting and informative presentation by the advocacy group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (https://momsdemandaction.org/about/). Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. Our presenters will be members of the new Upper Shore Chapter, including Mary Hunt-Miller of Talbot County, and Louise Miller of Chestertown.

This program, entitled “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and Its Work on the Upper Eastern Shore” will address a range of topics including Elections, Gun Violence Victims and Survivors’ Work, Suicide Prevention, the BeSMART Program, Extreme Risk Prevention Orders, Community Partnerships, and Students Demand Action.  Legislation at both the federal and state level will be reviewed, including gun safety legislation currently being considered by the MD General Assembly.

The meeting will take place at The Kitchen restaurant, 208 High St., Chestertown, on Thursday, March 16; doors will open at 5:30 pm for a social time and to order a meal from the menu. A brief business meeting will be conducted before the main presentation, which will start at approximately 7:00 pm.  Please consider attending our meeting on this important topic!

Authors & Oysters: Brooks Yeager

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Brooks Birdwell Yeager

The Bookplate is happily continuing their popular Authors & Oysters event series at The Retriever Bar in 2023. Author Allyson Rice was featured in the most recent Authors & Oysters event on March 8th. Next up on Wednesday, March 15th at 6pm, all are invited to The Retriever to hear author Brooks Birdwell Yeager discuss his thriller, “Jaguar’s Claw”.

The anticipated sequel to the award winning Chilly Winds – a Chincoteague Intrigue, Jaguar’s Claw is a fast-paced adventure.

“Taz Blackwell isn’t looking for trouble – it lands right on his doorstep, in the form of a beguiling wildlife scientist whose saucy façade hides a dangerous secret. Then an old friend from his diplomatic days recruits Taz to help fight the threat of wildfires in the Brazilian Amazon. The mysteries he encounters in the forest will test him in ways beyond his wildest imaginings and change his life forever. And the enemy he makes will return to haunt him and try the strength of a new but rocky romance.”

Brooks Yeager’s first novel, Chilly Winds, won the 2021 American fiction award for best adventure novel and “The Best Climate Change Thriller” by Shepherd for Readers. Before trying his hand at fiction, Brooks campaigned for wildlife and wilderness, negotiated global environmental agreements at the State Department, and consulted on environmental issues with the World Bank and the Arctic Council. His conservation career took him all over the world, from Brazil and Mexico to South Africa and the Russian Far East. These days Brooks and his wife Cindy Shogan enjoy life on the island of Chincoteague, on the Atlantic coast of Virginia. When he’s not writing, he likes to play guitar, watch birds, read philosophy and obscure books of history, and listen to all kinds of music.

“A vivid tour de force. Taz Blackwell is a swashbuckling antihero the reader can’t help but like. Be prepared to follow him from one fascinating intrigue to another, and to delight in Yeager’s superb writing along the way.”-Judith Mills (Author of Blood of the Tiger, Former Director: TRAFFIC wildlife-trade monitoring program in East Asia)

“Indiana Jones meets Greta Thunberg! This is the action-adventure story for the reader who understands that ‘global warming’ may be the single most important problem facing us today. Yeager’s capacity for describing the finest details of his settings, whether on Chincoteague Island, in the forests of Brazil, or the deserts of Northern Mexico, creates a full-blown “movie-in-your-head,” and is it ever fun to watch! [The author’s] rare combination of environmental expertise and political/diplomatic acumen provides the essential grist for a story that’s at the very heart of the fight to protect the earth.” -Stacy Rhodes (Senior Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State)

“A ripping good adventure tale. [Watch as] our hero takes on Mexican cartels, confronts Washington bureaucrats, and heads to Brazil to fight fires and illegal loggers in the Amazon.” -Bruce Babbitt (Secretary of the Interior under Bill Clinton, 1993-2001)

For more event details contact The Bookplate at 410-778-4167 or contact@thebookplate.net. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. The next Authors & Oysters event is scheduled for 4/5 with David Goodrich. All events are held in the back room of The Retriever, located at 337 ½ High Street in Chestertown, Maryland. 

Fine Arts and Crafts: RiverArts March Exhibit

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“Navy Diving Helmet” by Lauren Burnett

Chestertown RiverArts invited artists and artisans to submit work that exemplified the mastery of their craft. The response was far-reaching. The exhibit took shape in RiverArts newly redesigned gallery space that is able to give prominence to each of the 78 pieces created by 45 artists. The exhibit opened with a First Friday reception and will run through March 26.

Works on view include everything from jewelry made from fine silver and semi-precious stones to large hand-crafted garden sculptures. The fine art includes oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel paintings. Crafts include textiles, metal work, woodworking, ceramics, jewelry, and fused glass. In addition to the typical “oohs and aahs”, visitors were captivated by collages so finely crafted that they look like watercolor paintings and the dramatic effects created by printing photographs on canvas and metal. Many were curious about some of the unfamiliar media used such as pyrography, digital painting, and collagraph printing.

Visitors voted for the “Peoples Choice Award” which was given to “Navy Diving Helmet” by Lauren Burnett. The 7” x 6” x 7” helmet is completely hand-sculpted from clay and finished with metallic gold and copper glazes. The detail is outstanding, giving the observer the illusion that it is made entirely from metal. Although small, it is a functioning deep sea diving helmet.

No doubt those who see this exhibit will want to attend the “Artists Talk” on Thursday, March 9, 5-6:30. Attendees will hear the artists talk about their inspiration and process.

The RiverArts Gallery and Gift Shop is located at 315 High Street, in the breezeway. Hours are Wednesday-Friday 11-4, Saturday 10-4, and Sunday 11-3. For information on upcoming exhibits, talks, classes and special events go to www.community.chestertownriverarts.org or call 410-778-6300.

10 Students Inducted Into Art Honor Society

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Ten student artists at Kent County High School were recognized last month for their talents and their dedication to service and leadership.

On Thursday, Feb. 2, the Dize-Michael Chapter of the National Art Honor Society at Kent County High School held its 12th induction ceremony.

Ten new members were inducted to increase the chapter membership to 29.

The new members are Heather Bilbrough, Gillian Bonass, Alexa Kendall, Jade Lee, Addisyn Litton, Ny’Auna Lively, Amber Long, Jack Rhodes, Aaron Saunders and Thomas Stecklair.

Membership in the National Art Honor Society provides students with opportunities to be recognized for their artistic talents, service and leadership roles.

The induction ceremony included a brief report of the chapter’s recent service activities, which included creating 15 portraits for children in Nigeria through the Memory Project.

It was also announced that the Soup-er Bowl dinner will return to Kent County High School Thursday, March 23 with proceeds benefiting the Kent County Food Pantry.

Photo: Ten new members are inducted into the National Art Honor Society at Kent County High School. Back row from left are members Emma Morris, Trice Moore, Jack Spray, Emily Blusk, Kendall Joyner, Elizabeth Bilbrough, Kamron Wiggins, Megan Moore and Addison Cross. New members in the front row are, from left, Alexa Kendall, Aaron Saunders, Gillian Bonass, Addisyn Litton, Ny’Auna Lively, Amber Long and Heather Bilbrough. Not pictured are new members Jade Lee, Jack Rhodes and Thomas Stecklair.