local news

Shore Rehab at Queenstown Welcomes New Physical Therapist

January 19, 2022 by UM Shore Regional Health Leave a Comment

Kelley Bohlman, PT

Physical Therapist Kelley Bohlman, DPT, recently joined the outpatient rehabilitation team at University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Pavilion at Queenstown.

A movement expert skilled in the care of patients with a wide range of orthopedic conditions, Bohlman improves patients’ quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on treatment and patient education. Bohlman has a special interest in treating patients recovering from stroke and also those with neurological deficits including balance impairment, movement disorder and Parkinson’s disease.

Bohlman earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Widener University, where she was captainof the university’s women’s lacrosse team, and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. A native of Maryland, Bohlman and her husband now live in Queen Anne’s County.

“Dr. Bohlman listens to the issues and concerns of her patients and addresses their goals for treatment with a smile and motivating enthusiasm,” said Frank Rath, Manager, Outpatient Rehabilitation Services for UM Shore Regional Health. “We are very glad to have her join the team.”

About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

Cathie Weishaar Appointed to Regional Director of Pharmacy at UM SRH

January 19, 2022 by UM Shore Regional Health Leave a Comment

Catherine Weishaar, PharmD

Catherine Weishaar, PharmD, was recently promoted to Regional Director of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health after serving as Interim Director since August 2021.

An Eastern Shore native and longtime member of the UM SRH pharmacy team, Weishaar has served as vaccine and therapeutics leader for the hospital system’s COVID-19 Incident Command Structure (ICS). This involves managing medication guidelines, scarce resource inventory and allocations, and the vaccinator pool.

“I am thrilled that Cathie is moving forward in her professional career and providing excellent leadership skills and oversight of our amazing pharmacy team. I look forward to supporting her as she takes our pharmacy team into the future,” said Jenny Bowie, Chief Nursing Officer for UM SRH.

Weishaar, who grew up in Dorchester County, has deep connections to UM Shore Medical Center at Easton; she was born at the hospital and her mother, Linda Ferara, was a nurse there. Ferara encouraged Weishaar to apply for her first job in the hospital’s Pharmacy Department.

Weishaar earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Miami and worked as a pharmacy tech at the Easton hospital during summers and breaks. “The SRH pharmacy team took me under their wing and encouraged me to apply to and complete pharmacy school,” said Weishaar.

She earned a Doctorate of Pharmacy from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2007 while continuing her work in pharmacy. Weishaar served as a clinical pharmacist, clinical pharmacy manager and interim regional director of pharmacy before her promotion.

About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health

About the University of Maryland Medical System

Ed Patrick Named Washington College’s New V.P. for Finance and Administration

January 18, 2022 by Washington College News Service 1 Comment

Washington College has named Ed Patrick to the position of Vice President for Finance and Administration. Patrick, a successful finance executive with strong higher education experience comes to Washington College from St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC where he has served as VP of Finance & Operations since 2018.

In this role, Patrick will be a close partner to President Sosulski in advancing Washington College’s strategic priorities and objectives, working in unison with other College officers, and reflecting and extending the collaborative and supportive spirit of the entire College. The President and senior staff will look to him provide the leadership, vision and entrepreneurial financial thinking for prudent resource management and allocation in support of institutional planning and resource growth.

Serving as the chief business officer for Washington College, Patrick will provide strategic and operational leadership for the institution’s financial, information, and physical resources. He will be responsible for an institutional budget of approximately $55 million and will direct the College’s capital renewal program and land development opportunities, provide coordination and oversight of the management of the College’s endowment and its property and liability insurance and risk management portfolio, and provide functional oversight of non-financial business operations (information technology) and auxiliary enterprises (dining services, bookstore, and summer conferences).

Patrick’s accomplishments within the higher education space include leading strategic initiatives to retain SACSCOC (Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges) accreditation for two separate universities; investing nearly $2 million in technology infrastructure improvements by utilizing CARES Act funding; and collaborating with Academic and Student Affairs teams to develop and implement student retention initiatives that included investments in advising, tutors, technology, training and facilities that resulted in a 40% improvement in the retention rate.

Before joining St. Augustine’s University, Patrick spent five years as a SACSCOC Financial Consultant for Silver & Associates Universities & Colleges. Over the course of his career, he also held leadership roles in Finance & Management with South Carolina State University, Paine College, Clark Atlanta University and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

“As a focused and passionate strategist, I am excited to help advance the long-term goals and core mission of Washington College,” said Patrick, whose background includes budgeting and forecasting, business modeling, internal control structure, facilities management, technology and innovation, auxiliary management, cash and investment management, collaborative decision-making at the executive level, and change management.

Patrick is also the proud father of two children who are both currently attending different universities, adding an even deeper level of understanding around the challenges and sacrifices required to pursue a degree in higher education.

“Ed’s strong proven competencies in financial analysis and planning, process improvement, budgeting and cost control and team-building mesh incredibly well with what the College needs as we look ahead to the next chapter,” said Mike Sosulski, President. “But when we look beyond his successful career and list of accomplishments, it is his passion for adding value to our community and his collaborative approach that really gave him the nod as our candidate. He will undoubtedly become a strong and vocal advocate for advancing our mission with a student-first mindset.”

Patrick earned his Bachelor’s of Science in General Studies from Northwestern University, and went on to receive an MS in Accounting from DePaul University in Chicago. He also completed Chemical Officer Basic Course & Military Police Advance Training while with the Department of the Army out of Fort McClellan.

He will officially begin his tenure with Washington College on January 24. Patrick will be joined in the Office of Finance & Administration by another new staff member – Director of Facilities, Stan Yeakel. Yeakel was previously the Director of Physical Plant Services at Fairhaven, a continuing care retirement community in Sykesville, MD. He brings extensive experience in working with capital projects, maintenance, engineering, security, energy management and housekeeping services.

Story link: https://www.washcoll.edu/live/news/ed-patrick-release.php

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,100 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.

February 2022 Sky-Watch

January 18, 2022 by Dennis Herrman Leave a Comment

Jupiter approaches conjunction with the Sun this month, but before it does, we can still spot it low in the western sky for an hour after sunset during the first week of February. As of February 4th, Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun, so it is already our of sight. But it will re-appear in the morning eastern sky by the end of February.

All other planet action takes place in the pre-dawn eastern sky.

Venus will be unusually bright during the first half of February making it impossible to miss. Its extra brightness is due to its elliptical orbit bringing it closer to Earth than usual. (38 million miles compared to 43 million miles). It will be up two hours before the Sun.

Mars, though much fainter, joins Venus beginning on February 9th just below and to the right of it. On February 27th the waning crescent Moon may be seen below and right of Mars.

Mercury is also visible an hour before sunrise to the east (left) of Mars from February 15th to February 28th. Saturn joins the planet group at the end of February appearing very low and to the left of Mercury.

Binoculars will help us to see all 4 planets and the crescent Moon before sunrise on the last 3 days of the month. Looking ahead to March will find Jupiter joining the 4 planets, so that during the first week of March there will be 5 planets spanning some 50 degrees of our sky along the path of the zodiac (ecliptic)!

February Full Moon is on the 16th. Meanwhile, continue to look south all month and enjoy the bright winter constellations encircling Orion. Included in those 6 constellations are 8 of the top 20 brightest stars in the sky!

ShoreRivers Shares 2022 Legislative Priorities

January 16, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

ShoreRivers’ Director of Riverkeeper Programs Matt Pluta speaks at a past environmental legislative summit in Annapolis.

Now that the Maryland General Assembly has reconvened for the 444^th Legislative Session, ShoreRivers’ advocacy efforts are in full swing. The organization’s advocacy work is fundamental to creating system-wide change to protect local rivers against the major issues that impact water quality.

ShoreRivers, in partnership with the broader environmental community, will prioritize three bills this session: 1) a comprehensive climate package that will improve Maryland’s resilience and adaptation to climate change; 2) the PFAS Protection Act to protect Maryland residents from harmful chemicals in our waters; and 3) the Maryland Environmental Human Rights Amendment, which will provide another mechanism for environmental protections under the state’s constitution.

As we face greater challenges on the Eastern Shore resulting from climate change, we must accelerate the implementation of climate-resilient nutrient reduction practices by increasing funding and technical support for our state and local agencies. ShoreRivers will advocate for much of the federal funding allocated to the Chesapeake Bay Program in the recent infrastructure package to go toward implementation of conservation practices, particularly on agricultural lands throughout our local watersheds.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) must dedicate adequate personnel and resources in order to issue protective permits and take adequate enforcement action against pollution. As is laid out in a key piece of legislation being supported this session, MDE needs to conduct monthly inspections of facilities with administratively continued permits as well as facilities in significant noncompliance with their permits, and enforce meaningful penalties that disincentivize violating water pollution controls. This bill aims to fully address the backlog of administratively continued discharge permits (often referred to as “zombie” permits) over the next three years. Since the state has invested funds in upgrading the technology at many of these permitted facilities to reduce pollution loads, we should invest in our state agencies to ensure that terms of the permits are being met and that the technology is functioning as intended so we can meet our 2025 pollution reduction goals established by the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

Just as ShoreRivers implements restoration projects throughout our communities, engages volunteers in tree plantings and oyster growing, and reaches thousands of students each year through environmental education programs in local schools, the organization’s advocacy at the local, state, and federal level ensures that all of those endeavors can continue in order to achieve its water quality goals. Maryland’s laws and regulations should protect and support these local investments, and ShoreRivers looks forward to a productive legislative session with members of the General Assembly and fellow environmental advocates.

Anyone interested in getting involved and learning more about these priority bills, can tune in for the Maryland Environmental Legislative Summit on Tuesday, January 25 at 6 pm. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3GpzwkI

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

Benedictine Awards Service Milestones

January 15, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Scott Evans, Benedictine Executive Director, presents Sister Mary Agnes with a 46 years milestone award at the Staff Milestone Services Awards luncheon in early December.

Benedictine celebrated milestones in service for 52 of its dedicated staff members in early December. The awards were presented to employees with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 years of service with a special recognition for the 46 years Sister Mary Agnes has served Benedictine.

Each staff member was presented with special thank you gifts during a recognition luncheon. Staff celebrating 5,10 and 15 years of service were each given a certificate; 20 years received a framed, personal write-up award; 25,30 and 40 received a framed certificate noting years of service with number of months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds plus a canvas picture of the iconic Benedictine mile lane with its original stone wall entrance. In addition, all staff received a monetary gift based on their years of service.

Sister Mary Agnes’s special 46-year recognition celebrates her extraordinary service as a role model, teacher, caregiver and vocational coordinator; she exemplifies the true spirit of Benedictine. She is loved and respected by all her colleagues and all those she has served at Benedictine.

“The Milestone Awards Ceremony is a favorite event of mine at Benedictine,” stated Scott Evans, Benedictine Executive Director. “It highlights the commitment our employees have to our mission and values, and the work they do to support the students and adults in our programs.”

Benedictine commends all its staff milestone awardees for their compassion, dedication, dependability and caring devotion for the children and adults they serve and for their commitment to Benedictine. These traits shine through in their daily interactions with the people they support and their families, as well as co-workers and staff at Benedictine.

Benedictine has close to 400 employees who serve children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and autism at its Ridgely Campus and in its 22 group homes in Caroline, Talbot and Anne Arundel Counties, as well as at the Community Services and Training Center in Easton. Guided by its core values of compassionate caring, dignity of work and hospitality, Benedictine’s mission is to help each individual reach their greatest potential and highest level of independence.

About Benedictine:

Benedictine is a non-sectarian nonprofit organization helping more than 200 children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism achieve their greatest potential. Benedictine’s year-round educational program is one of only 26 nationwide to earn a two-year accreditation from the National Commission for Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES). This program includes home-like living and learning options on the Ridgely, Maryland campus, for children ages 5 to 21 who come from Maryland and surrounding states. Benedictine’s Adult Services program offers employment and vocational services for transitional youth and adults, ages 22 to 70+, in the community and those who live in Benedictine’s group homes in Caroline, Talbot, and Anne Arundel Counties. Benedictine’s Easton Community Services & Training Center prepares the adults it serves to enter the workforce and collaborates with the Talbot County Public Schools to provide services to their students through the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) Program. For more information, visit www.benschool.org

“The Misadventures of Romeo & Juliet” at Church Hill Theatre

January 15, 2022 by Gunston School Leave a Comment

The Gunston Players are pleased to announce that their upcoming production of “The Misadventures of Romeo & Juliet” by Stephen Frankenfield will take place on February 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. and February 27 at 2 p.m. at the Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Md. Tickets to this show are free, however space is limited to first come, first served.

A light hearted comedy, the plot follows the story of a dysfunctional rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet in which many familiar characters intrude on the production, creating complete chaos including (but not limited to) Shakespeare, “Datman” (Batman), Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, and many more. The show will be accompanied with music by Gunston musicians The Brookletts.

The Gunston Players in dress rehearsal, from left to right (Devin Merton ‘24, Annabelle Sinatra ‘24, Ezra Lillie ’25, Rowan Lutz ’24, YaXin (Angelina) Lin ’23, Nora FauntLeRoy ‘22, Harrison Dunstan ’24, and Nina Johnston ‘25.

The play is directed by Performing Arts Chair Dr. Ryan Asprion with fellow faculty member Katelyn Larrimore as assistant director. For those unable to attend, there will be a virtual live stream available on Gunston’s YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGunstonSchool.

“After such a tumultuous year of Covid restrictions, we are excited to bring this comedy to the stage. It’s great to see the students enjoying themselves and all enjoying a good laugh together. I think the audience will really appreciate the comic relief!” said Dr. Asprion.

For more information about Gunston’s performing arts program, contact rasprion@gunston.org or call 410-758-0620.

Church Hill Theatre is located at 103 Walnut Street, Church Hill, Md., and requires proof of vaccination for all guests. Please visit churchhilltheatre.org for more information about this policy.

Free Workshop Series by Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area

January 14, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Nothing About Me, Without Me: Making Shared Heritage Interpretations a Realty – A Free Workshop Series

Jan 25, 2022, 1 PM Stories of Success

Feb 8, 2022, 1 PM Building on Success: Emerging Projects

Feb. 15, 2022, 1 PM Creating Collaboration for Projects

Often heritage stories are told without input or viewpoints from those whose story is being told. Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area seeks to address this issue with a series of workshops, “Nothing About Me Without Me: Making Shared Heritage Interpretations A Reality”. Join @SOCHA on January 25, February 8, and February 15 to learn from projects that have uncovered ways to collaborate and include all voices.

Moderated by Paulette Greene-Dear, in the first workshop we will hear from three quite different projects on how community collaboration resulted in successful projects. The Chesapeake Heartland Project the Kennard Cultural Heritage Center, and the Legacy Day Event.

Chesapeake Heartland is a collaboration between the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington College, and a diverse array of local organizations, including Sumner Hall, Kent Cultural Alliance, and Kent County Public Library. Its mission is to preserve, digitize, interpret, and make accessible materials related to African American history and culture in Kent County, MD and beyond.

What began as a lofty dream almost 20 years ago, with a small group of people starting a grass roots initiative to revive and restore the original Kennard High School and create a community center, has been realized with the creation and opening of Kennard African American Cultural HeritageCenter. This center has become the hub for African American History programs and events, while highlighting the exhibits of its African American History Museum.

Legacy Day celebrates the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in Kent County. It is an opportunity for all residents to recognize their shared history and have an enjoyable time. While the most visible part of the festivities, for many attendees, is the parade and block party Saturday evening, Legacy Day incorporates a lot more, including a great deal of research into the history of the year’s theme, and a full day of experiences built around the theme.

Moderated by Darius Johnson, the Feb. 8 workshop will feature exciting new and emerging projects: The Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe, Harriet’s Footprints on Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms, and The Shantytowns on Kent Narrows

Join us virtually to learn about the importance of including community voices in project development, networking and opportunities for collaboration, and to envision grassroots projects that tell our collective stories.

Registration is required. To register for this virtual workshop series: info@storiesofthechesapeake.org

Shore United Bank Thanks Laura Sonberg for 20 Years of Service!

January 14, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Laura Sonberg celebrates 20 years with Shore United Bank.

Shore United Bank is happy to congratulate Laura Sonberg on 20 years of service. Laura began her career with the Bank in January of 2002 in Deposit Operations. Since the start of her career with Shore United Bank, she has also held positions such as Electronic Banking Representative and her current role of BSA Specialist II in the BSA/Compliance Department.

In her current role, Laura’s responsibilities include reviewing and reporting suspicious activity, monitoring high risk customers, and making sure branches comply with banking rules and regulations by reviewing important documents and managing risk. “My job is always exciting. Fraud cases and CTRs keep me very busy and can be very interesting, mainly because each day brings something different. There’s never a dull moment in the BSA Department,” explains Laura regarding her daily duties.

“Laura is an experienced and devoted banker. Her hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated and she is a valued member of our Shore United Bank team,” expressed Cassie Guy, Compliance Officer at Shore United Bank.

Beyond her daily duties at work, Laura also loves helping others. “I am always willing to learn new things and will drop what I’m doing to help anyone who needs it,” Laura explains. She even gets involved with her local community by scheduling Shred Days and volunteering at Caroline Summerfest in Denton each year.

As a mother of two, Laura loves spending time with her children and, in particular, shopping with her daughter, Kristy. She also likes to spend her free time reading and playing with her dogs. Laura and her husband, Nick, live in Greensboro, MD.

For more information about Shore United Bank, visit www.ShoreUnitedBank.com

Kent Attainable Housing

January 14, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Darius Johnson, Executive Director of Kent Attainable Housing

The Democratic Club of Kent County extends an invitation to all members of the community, to attend our next online meeting and learn about Kent Attainable Housing, a local group dedicated to helping low-to-moderate income families in Kent County achieve homeownership. Kent Attainable Housing buys property, designs or renovates homes, landscapes the yards, and partners with low-income families to buy the home. They build the capacity of their applicants to successfully own a home through required workshops in financial literacy, home ownership, and budget management. They use community volunteers and partners to help make the homes affordable and to mentor applicants through the process. More information about KAH and its activities is available on their website: https://kentattainablehousing.org/.

Our speaker will be Darius Johnson, Executive Director of Kent Attainable Housing. A Kent County native, Dariusis the organization’s first Executive Director. His previous work includes Communications and Community Revitalization at Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and Strategic Outreach and Program Management at the Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation. Additionally, Darius is a Senior Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program and a Community Curation Fellow with Chesapeake Heartland: An African American Humanities Project at Washington College. Darius is a graduate of Washington College’s Class of 2015, where he studied Business Management, Political Science, and Philosophy.

The public is invited to join old friends and make new ones at this meeting, which will take place via Zoom on Thursday evening, January 20th. The meeting will open for a social time at 6:30 pm, including by a brief business meeting. At 7:00 we’ll hear from the Mr. Johnson, 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.

Sections

More