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June 26, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

5 News Notes

Sultana Receives $150,000 Community Legacy Grant

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In partnership with the Town of Chestertown, the Sultana Education Foundation (SEF) announced that it has received a grant of $150,000 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Community Legacy Program for construction of the Harwood Nature Center at its Lawrence Wetlands Preserve in Chestertown. Support from DHCD will complement existing funding already committed by the National Park Service, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area and multiple private foundations and individuals. Under development since 2018 and anticipated to open in 2024, the Lawrence Preserve is an 8.5-acre urban nature center that will join the replica schooner SULTANA and LEED Platinum Holt Education Center as key components of SEF’s Chestertown campus.

A bright and airy 1,200 square foot structure designed by Chestertown architect John Hutchison and Locust Grove Studios in Kennedyville, Maryland, the Harwood Nature Center will function as a classroom and refuge from the weather for the 3,000+ students who will visit the Lawrence Preserve annually. Emory Hill and Company of Newark, Delaware has been retained as general contractor for construction and groundbreaking is anticipated for spring 2023 with completion by November.

Based in Chestertown and serving the entire Chesapeake region, SEF provides hands-on educational opportunities for over 14,000 students annually that promote stewardship of the Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental resources. By helping students of all ages develop an appreciation for the Chesapeake Bay, SEF is working to create a community of individuals who are dedicated to preserving this irreplaceable treasure.

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Rob Hindman Elected Sultana’s New Board Chair

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Rob Hindman

The Sultana Education Foundation (SEF) announced that its Board of Directors elected Rob Hindman as its new Board Chair, Brooke Harwood as its new Vice Chair, and Eric Schless as its new Treasurer. Lyle Feisel was reelected to continue in his current role as Secretary of the Foundation. Hindman and Schless succeed three-term Board Chair Chris Havmener and long-time treasurer, Blyth Reynolds, both of whom will continue on SEF’s board.

“Speaking on behalf of the Board, we simply can’t overstate the incredible work that Chris Havemeyer and Blyth Reynolds contributed as board officers,” said Sultana President, Drew McMullen. “The organization has taken enormous leaps as a direct result of their leadership.”

With the Sultana Education Foundation in the midst of two significant capital projects and a strategic expansion of its programs, its new board leadership takes charge at a particularly consequential time. “Rob, Brooke, and Eric have well-earned reputations as leaders in their respective fields,” commented Sultana Governance Committee Chair, Patti Hegland. “Sultana has both an exciting and challenging period ahead and this new leadership team will ensure SEF continues to build upon its record of achievement in Environmental Education.”

Board Chair Rob Hindman is a retired school administrator, teacher and elementary school principal and helped develop one of the first elementary school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) focused programs in Virginia. In 2005 Hindman was awarded the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award from the Washington Post and named Arlington Public Schools Principal of the Year. Hindman came to Sultana’s Board as a longtime volunteer onboard the schooner Sultana.

Brooke Harwood, Vice Chair, is a retired commercial airline executive who led Federal Express’s successful effort to establish service in China. A long-time volunteer for SEF, Harwood has also served on the Board of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. As Vice Chair, Harwood is overseeing work at Sultana’s new Lawrence Wetlands Preserve.

A retired Managing Director at Wells Fargo, and current board member at the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Eric Schless brings 20 years of investment banking, legal, and nonprofit experience to SEF. In his role as Treasurer, Schless will lead a comprehensive review of SEF’s endowment and investment management policies.

Based in Chestertown and serving the entire Chesapeake region, SEF provides hands-on educational opportunities for over 14,000 students annually that promote stewardship of the Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental resources. By helping students of all ages develop an appreciation for the Chesapeake Bay, SEF is working to create a community of individuals who are dedicated to preserving this irreplaceable treasure.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Sultana Downrigging Artist’s Win Top IBMA Awards

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Two artists scheduled to perform at the Sultana Education Foundation’s Downrigging Weekend Festival (October 29-31) received top awards at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) 32nd annual awards show, held September 30th at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, a member of the band Mile Twelve, received the Fiddle Player of the Year award, while Danny Paisley was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year. Both Mile Twelve and Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass will play multiple sets on the Chestertown waterfront Saturday, October 30thas part of Sultana’s Downrigging Festival.

Mile Twelve

Keith-Hynes and Paisley are not the only Downrigging artists to win recent acclaim. Solo guitarist, Yasmin Williams, was recently profiled by the New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR), and the Washington Post who lauded her as a “new kind of guitar hero.” Visit the article here.

Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass 

“We are grateful to our volunteer music directors, RousbyQuesenbury and Andrew Ferguson, for putting such an outstanding lineup together for this year’s festival,” said Brooke Logan Packard, Chair of the Sultana Education Foundation’s Downrigging Committee. Other nationally acclaimed artists scheduled to perform at Sultana’s Downrigging Festival include Colebrook Road, Country Current, Wicked Sycamore, Jackob’s Ferry Stranglers, and Tom Mindte. A full schedule and ticket information can be found at the festival’s website, www.downrigging.org.

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Sultana to Sail Again for 20th Anniversary Season

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Richards works with crew members aloft in the Schooner SULTANA’s rigging.

After being laid up for 19 months because of the Covid-19 crisis, the Sultana Education Foundation’s flagship schooner SULTANA is preparing for a triumphant return to the Chesapeake Bay for her 20th anniversary season. “Operating a school-ship like SULTANA was simply impossible in 2020,” said SEF President Drew McMullen, “but with the Covid situation improving, vaccines available for our crew, and schools reaching out to sail this fall, the time has come to get SULTANA back out on the water.”

Getting the 1768 reproduction SULTANA sailing again will take the better part of this coming summer. SULTANA’s volunteer corps will start the process in early June by removing the long term protective cover that has been on the schooner since last summer. The schooner’s crew will arrive in Chestertown a few weeks later and immediately depart for the Georgetown Yacht Basin where SULTANA will be hauled, cleaned and repainted. The schooner will return to Chestertown by August where the schooner’s crew and volunteer corps will re-rig the vessel and train in preparation for resuming under-sail operations by the second half of August.

“This will be the first time we have rigged SULTANA during the summer,” said Sultana Vice President Chris Cerino. “It’s a complex and amazing process and we are going to make a big effort to make it accessible to the public.”

New Captain no stranger to SULTANA

Newly appointed Captain Forrest Richards will oversee the process of rerigging SULTANA. A long-time resident of Chestertown, Richards is no stranger to the Sultana Education Foundation, where he previously worked as both crew and Mate on SULTANA, as well as a member of the 12-person expedition that reenacted Captain John Smith’s 121-day, 2,100-mile 1608 Chesapeake expedition in 2007.

“I’m excited to be back on Sultana,” said Richards, “and honored to be captaining her 20th anniversary sailing season.”

Most of SULTANA’s crew has been hired for the 2021 season, but two available deckhand positions remain. Interested candidates should visit the foundation’s website, www.sultanaeducation.org, for details.

Downrigging Returns to Celebrate Anniversary

SULTANA’S 2021 sailing season will be the 20th since the vessel’s launch on March 24, 2001. The anniversary celebration of SULTANA’s launch originally planned for March will now take place as part of the Foundation’s annual Downrigging Weekend, scheduled for October 29-31 in Chestertown. The Foundation recently received preliminary approval from the Town of Chestertown to host this event and details for the three day Tall-Ship and bluegrass festival will be announced in June.

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Sultana Continues Free Speaker Series for the Public

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Clarence Gilmer

Now through May, the Sultana Education Foundation will host its public speaker program, Sultana Sessions, a free livestream series featuring a range of topics in history, ecology and the humanities of the Chesapeake Bay Region. This Thursday at 7pm EST, SEF will host special guests Doncella Wilson and Clarence Gilmer to discuss ‘Diversity In The Outdoors’, a hot topic in today’s news. Wilson and Gilmer will join Sultana’s Lawrence Wetland Preserve Manager and Program Instructor, John Mann, to discuss their experiences in the outdoors and potential barriers that may be preventing more African American people from enjoying outdoor experiences on the Eastern Shore. They will also talk strategies for organizations, similar to Sultana, as they aim to increase diversity both amongst their staff and their program participants.

“The beauty of the livestream format is that viewers can interact with us in real time,” said Mann. “The technology allows viewers to ask questions and share personal experiences with our speakers, giving them interactions our community craves right now. With this topic gaining public attraction in recent years, we’re hoping to see a diverse audience, with various ideas and perspectives.”

Doncella Wilson

Doncella Wilson is a Councilwoman in Denton, MD, and a native to the Eastern Shore. She is the cofounder of Minary’s Dream Alliance, Inc., located in Kent County, MD, and aims to foster positive outdoor experiences for African American youth. Clarence Gilmer is an outdoor educator and former teacher at Echo Hill Outdoor School, specializing in primitive and survival skills. Clarence appeared 3 times in the Discovery Channel’s hit series, Naked And Afraid.

The episode will stream live on Thursday, March 18 at 7PM via https://www.facebook.com/SultanaEducation/live/. Please note, a Facebook account is NOT required to use join the speaker series. To see a full schedule of episodes and more information, please visit https://sultanaeducation.org/public-programs/.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Return of Sultana Education Foundation’s Virtual Toddler Time

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Students at a local daycare work on crafts in real time with SEF staff members, and complete writing and art activity worksheets sent out in the Toddler Time materials packet.

The Sultana Education Foundation (SEF) is pleased to announce the return of its FREE early childhood education program, Virtual Toddler Time, taking place now through April. The program will be offered virtually via ZOOM and broken into four separate sessions. Children and their guardians will explore the natural world through stories, songs, games, crafts, and interactions with wildlife – all led by SEF’s talented staff. Each session will include three separate lessons held each Friday morning at 10:30AM. Program supplies will be available for pick-up the Wednesday prior to each session at SEF’s Holt Center, or dropped off within a 20-mile radius of the Holt Center in downtown Chestertown, MD.

The program, now in its 4th year, was traditionally held in-person at SEF’s Holt Center. Staff members piloted the virtual version this past summer providing parents and guardians struggling to find nature-based, interactive and fun activities during the pandemic. A local teacher and parent was incredibly impressed with the effort that went into planning and executing each program, expressing gratitude for the low costs (now offered for free) saying, “I thought this was extremely affordable for all the materials and time that went into this program…(the staff) did a wonderful job of managing the technology and interacting with the kids. I loved all the activities that occurred during the sessions and also the ones for kids to do on their own. ”

This season, Virtual Toddler Time has gotten off to an incredible start. Within three days of opening registration Session One was full, with 100 participants signed up, throwing the program staff into a frenzy prepping, packaging and delivering materials to students.

Registration for Session Two will open on January 27th, for Session Three on Feb 17th, and for Session Four on March 3rd. To see SEF’s Virtual Toddler Time complete 2021 schedule, for more information, or to register for the next session visit https://sultanaeducation.org/public-programs/. Those looking for additional early childhood activities and resources can visit Sultana’s Virtual Classroom website at https://sultanaclassroom.org/early-childhood-education/.

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What’s Up With Sultana? A Virtual Event

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The Sultana Education Foundation is pleased to be hosting “What’s Up With Sultana,” a Virtual Event, December 3, 2020 at 7:00 PM. The purpose of the event is to share with the community, supporters, members, and friends, all of the work the organization has been doing since Covid-19 limitations changed the landscape of experiential education.

The 30-minute presentation is free to the public and will cover the many facets of the Foundation’s projects including: Virtual Classroom programming and the development of the Lawrence Wetland Preserve. Videos will be combined with live moments from Foundation President Drew McMullen and Vice President Chris Cerino.

“We want to show our supporters all of the exciting things the organization has been up to,” said McMullen, “Covid has certainly presented challenges, but we’ve been able to pivot and create meaningful programming that will be used even after the pandemic is history.”

The final moments of the presentation will also include an opportunity for live questions and answers from the public.

To learn more about the Virtual Event, visit www.sultanaeducation.org, or bookmark the event’s livestream page at: https://givebutter.com/youzOv.

The Sultana Education Foundation’s mission is to provide transformative educational experiences in which students investigate the natural and human history of the Chesapeake Bay while exploring solutions for a more sustainable ecosystem. This new programming allows them to do just that from the comfort of their own home.

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Sultana’s Virtual Classroom LIVE! Programs Reach 900+ Students

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On March 1, 2020, the Sultana Education Foundation’s (SEF) spring programming season was fully booked with scheduled field experiences for students on the Chesapeake Bay. “This was going to be one of the Foundation’s busiest spring seasons in our history, with thousands of students lined up to explore the Bay and its tidal tributaries aboard the schooner Sultana, paddling on canoes or kayaks, and visiting the Holt Education Center in Chestertown,” said SEF’s Vice President, Chris Cerino. “Unfortunately, that all changed over the course of two weeks in mid-March due to the advent of the COVID-19 health crisis in Maryland.”

The spread of coronavirus led to school closures nationwide and a sudden and radical shift to distance learning. This also led to the cancellation of all SEF’s spring field programs. In response to this unprecedented situation, SEF staff members quickly pivoted to create an entirely new web site where a plethora of online resources for classroom teachers were posted. This included over 60 videos with topics ranging from the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay to the history of the Schooner SULTANA, and the rich culture of Native Americans in the region. The resulting web site, www.sultanaclassroom.org, now offers teachers with unprecedented access to quality, classroom-ready instructional materials that will be available for years to come.

Beth Lenker reads a book about turtles to a class before diving into a full lesson involving live critters, manipulatives, crafts and a written activity.

In addition to the site, SEF launched an online field trip initiative known as “Virtual Classroom, LIVE!”, proving to be exceedingly popular with students and teachers alike. SEF’s talented teaching staff made virtual lessons come to life using historic artifacts, primary documents, and even live critters from the Education Center’s Wet Lab. In May and early June, SEF conducted over 50 live sessions, reaching approximately 1,000 students from throughout Maryland and Delaware.

For teachers coping with the new reality of teaching their students entirely over the internet, SEF’s live programs were a welcome addition to their repertoire. “Sultana took a very difficult situation for my students and made it a positive experience that they will never forget,” stated Justin Crew, 4th grade teacher at Kennard Elementary School. “Our local students are blessed to have an organization that is solely focused on the educational betterment of every student that they encounter, whether it be face to face or virtually.”

“Wow! I can’t say enough positive things about our grade level class meeting this morning!” said Tiffany Kennedy, a third grade teacher at Galena Elementary School. “Thanks to the Sultana team we learned about a Secchi disc, oxygen levels in the water, SAVs, and much more. We even saw animals from the Chesapeake Bay! It couldn’t have been any better. The kids were so engaged, and we love how interactive you made our hour together.”

John Man displays an oyster shell fossil and their importance to the region after completing a watershed runoff exercise, shown sitting on the lab table.

“One of the best experiences during Church Hill Elementary School’s two months of online learning was our Virtual Classroom Live experience with the Sultana Education Foundation,” added Paul Taylor, a 4th grade teacher at the school. “The Sultana staff customized the program to my curriculum needs and engaged my students with artifacts and questions during our program. I tried virtual trips with other organizations, but those did not have nearly the level of interactive learning and excitement as the SEF’s Virtual Classroom Live program.”

Moving forward, SEF will continue developing the website and live programs ensuring the organization is poised to offer unique assistance to regional teachers during the 2020-21 school year. “Right now, nobody really knows what school is going to look like this fall,”said Cerino. “But whatever the format, SEF will be ready to assist and continue delivering our unique programs and resources to area students and teachers.”

About the Sultana Education Foundation

Founded in 1997, the Sultana Education Foundation is a private nonprofit dedicated to providing unique, hands-on educational opportunities that promote stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental legacies. The Foundation is a two-time recipient of the National Maritime Historical Foundation’s Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education.

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Sultana Announces Discounts for Residential Summer Programs

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SEF Announces 40% Discounts on Residential Summer Programs for Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th Grade Students in Kent County

As an extension of its highly successful Watershed Watch program for 7th grade students, the Sultana Education Foundation is offering 40% discounts on five-day residential summer programs for rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders who attend Kent County schools. Established in 2017, Watershed Watch is a comprehensive field program that uses the Radcliffe Creek watershed in Chestertown as a case study to introduce students to broader ecological concepts related to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. At the end of the program, students implement Action Projects that play a role in improving the health of the stream. This innovative initiative is conducted in partnership with Kent County Middle School, Radcliffe Creek School, Kent School, and the Chestertown Christian Academy

“We see a great benefit for Watershed Watch students to participate in these extended summer programs,” commented Chris Cerino, Vice President of the Sultana Education Foundation. “Our five-day residential trips are an incredible opportunity for these students to have a more in depth experience on the Chesapeake, and furthers the Foundation’s mission to create future stewards of the Bay.”

The Watershed Watch Summer Program Discount applies to five-day residential trips onboard the schooner SULTANA, as well as five-day kayak camping trips on the Sassafras and Nanticoke Rivers. The discount is made possible by generous funding provided by grants from the Indian Point Foundation, the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, and the Veverka Family Foundation.

For additional information about the Sultana Education Foundation’s Summer Programs, visit www.sultanaeducation.org or call 410-778-5954.

 

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Sultana Foundation Withdraws Offer to Buy ‘Shipyard’ Property

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The Sultana Education Foundation has withdrawn its offer to buy the “shipyard” property it has leased from the Town of Chestertown since 1997.

However, the foundation said it would like to revisit the issue if the town decides to offer the property for purchase or lease.

In a Feb. 24, 2020, letter to the town council and Town Manager Bill Ingersoll, Drew McMullen, the foundation’s president and c0-founder, said the organization saw no purpose in having its offer outstanding as the town considers the best use for the property and whether to declare it surplus and available for purchase.

Drew McMullen, president of the Sultana Education Foundation.

“SEF applauds the Towns efforts to determine the best and highest use of this property. Understanding this process is likely to take months, if not longer, we see no utility in having our offer outstanding as this process moves forward,” McMullen wrote. “When and if the Town makes a determination to offer this property to the public for purchase or lease, SEF would welcome an opportunity to revisit this issue.

“In the meantime, SEF would be grateful for the opportunity to remain at the 346 Cannon Street lot as a tenant based upon the terms of our current agreement,” he wrote. “If at a future date the Town wishes SEF to vacate the property, we would appreciate as much advance notice as possible so we can avoid a disruption to our operations.”

“Since SEF’s founding in 1997, we have committed ourselves to improving educational, cultural, and economic opportunities for the citizens of Chestertown,” McMullen wrote. “At the core of our operating philosophy is the premise that our organizational interests are directly linked to the vitality of Chestertown and Kent County. If a higher and better use for the Town Yard property can be found, we ultimately believe this is in our best interests as well.

The foundation had offered to buy the parcel it leases at 346 Gannon Street in an Oct. 23, 2019, letter to the town. Ingersoll deferred the issue for the town’s newly elected council to consider in January.

McMullen encouraged the town at its Jan. 6 council meeting to find the best use for the shipyard.

“If there’s a way for the town to go out and make hay with this property, over and above what we can do with it, you should do it,” he said at the Jan. 6 meeting. “We are not saying we have any right to this property whatsoever. We just have a need for it, I’m not sure anyone else does.”

At the Jan. 27 council meeting, a group of citizens asked the town to consider a mixed-use development on the 2-acre parcel at the corner of Cannon and Mill streets, where the town’s maintenance yard and the Sultana’s shipyard are located.

“It’s time to rethink the use of this property,” said Barbara Jorgenson of the MilCan Neighborhood Association at the Jan. 27 council meeting. “In fact, we need to look at our own comprehensive plan which does anticipate the redevelopment of this property.”

“Town Yard and Sultana Boat Yard: During the recent comprehensive rezoning, the zoning of the Town Yard parcel was split to create a C-2 Downtown Commercial area on the downtown half of the parcel, and RB Professional Office on the Mill Street half of the parcel,” says Chestertown’s 2015 comprehensive plan, page 37. “It is anticipated that the Town Yard will be moved within the next five years to a new location more appropriate to its industrial function, such as Talbot Boulevard. This will create the opportunity to build a mixed-use development with residential, office and commercial uses.”

The Sultana Education Foundation has leased the publicly owned property from the town for $1 a year since 1997 to support its educational programs.

McMullen, at the Jan. 6 meeting, said the use of the shipyard has changed since the Sultana was launched in 2001 to more of a maintenance facility and to serve as a staging and storage area for their paddle programs. He said 40 to 50 canoes and kayaks are stored there.

“We actually serve as many students in our canoe and kayak programs now as we do on the [Sultana],” he said Jan. 6. “It’s a very helpful place to store and work on that gear.”

He said the location of the shipyard was also ideal for its proximity to the Holt Center on Cross Street, which serves as SEF headquarters and main teaching facility.

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