Around South County

Check out new South County News Site

2010-11-08T19:44:00.001-08:00

A new news site for Southern Anne Arundel County launched in January 2011. Visit http://www.southriversource.com

Around South County: Girl Scouts plant vegetable garden

2010-06-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — The Capital From left, Girl Scouts Katie Bedard, 11, Alyssa Rose, 10, and Cassie Keenan, 11, explain their gardening techniques to Liles Creighton at the Capt. Salem Avery Museum in Shady Side.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, Staff Writer

Three south county Girl Scouts, of Troop 148 recently helped the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side and in the process earned their Bronze Award. Alyssa Rose, Cassie Keenan and Katie Bedard were recognized at a garden dedication this past Sunday at the Shady Side museum.

The project was to plant a vegetable garden near the boat house on the property. But first they had to conduct research on 1800s garden varieties and clear the spot of overgrown shrubs. The project got off the ground about a year ago when the girls approached Vicki Peterson, the museum director, to try to find a good community service project.

Katie was already a junior docent at the museum, so she had some familiarity with the Capt. Salem Avery House mission. The museum's new garden, the Heritage Eco Tour, was in its planning stages, and Vicki told the girls that maybe there might be some way for them to be involved.

"The lilacs were overgrown and we thought we could do something like an ancestry vegetable garden," Katie said. She explained that the goal was to plant the kinds of trees, vegetables and herbs that might have been used during the 1800s - the era of Capt. Salem Avery.

Cassie did her research on the herb portion of the project. She said that she found that the kinds of herbs used - lavender, yarrow, mint, thyme, sage and lemon balm - were grown not just for cooking and making tea, but also for medicinal purposes. She also learned that children in the 1800s liked candy, one of the reasons for growing mint. Katie planted a red bud tree.

Alyssa procured tomato seeds from one of the volunteers at the museum, and researched an 1800s Maryland technique for growing corn, beans and squash called, "three sisters." In the three sisters growing pattern, corn is grown in a row, interspersed with plantings of beans.

The beans use the corn stalks as a trellis. The squash is planted all around the corn and beans as a method for keeping the soil moist. She made a planting box in the style of the three sisters at Capt. Salem Avery museum. Some of the work was too onerous for the three girls, so they enlisted the help of Boy Scouts from Troop 853 of Shady Side.

The Boy Scouts helped with clearing out the overgrown shrubs and building the planter boxes. The girls brought in the dirt and plants.

Vicki said that she thought the project turned out to be more than the girls had anticipated. "But it came out great," she said. The vegetables and herbs that the girls harvest over the summer will be given to the South County Assistance Network, or SCAN, the local food bank.

Principal Teresa Zablonski is leaving Tracey's Elementary School after having served there for eight years. Faculty and students recently gave her a send off in the form of a schoolwide assembly. The assembly was organized by Jennifer Foster, the school counselor. During the event, the 16 classes at Tracey's each compiled a presentation for the beloved principal.

Some gave her posters andartwork, while others read poems. Teresa accomplished much at the school. During her time at Tracey's, she oversaw the students during a two-year renovation of the building. During the construction, students were housed at Southern Middle School in Lothian.

That was from August 2005 until January 2008. She got to enjoy the new environs for the past two years. She's headed to Glen Burnie Park Elementary School for her next assignment.

Tracey's students will welcome Kathleen Fitzgerald as their principal for the next school year. She is currently the principal at Jones Elementary in Severna Park.

South River High students inducted into dance honor society

2010-04-29T15:58:00.001-07:00

At a ceremony in Edgewater earlier this month, 14 dancers from South River High School were inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Each of the inductees take dance at the school, and most participate in dance with other dance schools and companies.

The dancers bestowed with the honor include seniors Christine Moren, Alison Quigley, Jennifer Snowden, and Lindsay Tarr; juniors Andrea Crino, Kara Halsey, Violet Hill, Ashley Krogel, Molly Maloy, Kelly Olsen, and Madeleine Raley; and sophomores Samantha Blonder, Cara Ervin and Emily Vitacolonna.

The dance honor society is new to South River, where teacher Nicole Deming teaches an elite group. Deming offers a dance class that meets every other day.

Students can take dance as a fine arts credit, as their second physical education credit, or as a general elective.

Through the course of the year, the class goes through ballet, modern, jazz and tap. They also learn choreography and choreograph student shows in the winter and spring.

Getting into the class is competitive and requires an audition.

Deming said that she heard about the honor society program through Judy Fey, dance consultant for the county schools. Deming said Severna Park High School has a dance program and also participates in the dance honor society.

The honor society is administered through the National Dance Education Organization, a nonprofit that promotes dance. The organization was launched in 1998, and has received grants from the U.S. Department of Education to further research in dance education.

At South River, students needed 30 credit points in order to be inducted. At least 20 of the points had to be earned through participation within the school. The other 10 could be in school or outside of school.

Students in grades nine through 12 were eligible, although earning 30 credit points for ninth-graders proved too difficult a hurdle. No freshmen were inducted at the April 15 ceremony.

Since it was the first year for the honor society, the necessary points were retroactive to a student's freshman year.

Students were also required to maintain an overall 3.0 grade point average.

Deming said that students could earn points in a variety of ways, although all points had to be dance related.

"I made a cheat sheet of how each point is earned, and from there students were responsible for figuring out how many they had," Deming said.

For example, a performance at a county dance festival could earn one point. Teaching creative movement at a day care center might earn a point.

"Some of the girls stage manage or crew for other productions like Talent Machine," Deming said. That could also earn them points.

One girl earned points for doing the program layout for one of the school's dance productions.

Now that the school has an established chapter, the seniors who participate will be given honor cords to wear at graduation.

For more information on the National Dance Education Organization and the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, visit www.ndeo.org.

Around South County: Cub Scout Pack 853 collects food for the needy

2010-04-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

By Mitchelle Stephenson

Cub Scout Pack 853, comprised of den units from Shady Side, West River, Churchton and Deale, recently held a food drive with proceeds benefiting the South County Assistance Network, or SCAN, a food pantry that serves needy families in southern Anne Arundel County.

There are about 50 kids in the pack, and the group managed to collect about 1,300 nonperishable items. The food was delivered to SCAN, which operates out of St. James Church in Lothian.

The boys are all elementary school-aged.

The 10 dens in the pack received a challenge earlier this year - if each unit could get 100 percent participation to fill five bags of food, they would receive an ice cream party.

Each of the dens managed to reach that goal.

Scott Martin and Lynn Benning, two of the den leaders, credited fellow den leader Brian Christian with coordinating the drive.

Lynn said that each of the boys were given bags that they could give to family, friends and neighbors. Once the bags were filled, the Scouts would pick them up.

At the March Blue and Gold banquet celebrating Scouts, the boys brought the bags of food they had collected. Later, some of the boys went to the SCAN site in the basement of St. James Parish in Lothian to sort the food for distribution.

Max Benning, 9, was one of the Scouts who participated. He said that it was fun, "although we worked really hard."

"I felt like other people had empty stomachs, and the food drive can help them," Max said.

Max worked alongside his friend Jacob Goudy, 10, to sort the food at the pantry once it was delivered.

Dotty Fender is the volunteer coordinator at SCAN, and she said the need for food at the pantry is always growing.

"We get a couple of new families each time we are open," Dotty said. SCAN is open two days a week, Thursdays and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"The Cub Scouts have done an amazing job of collecting food and clothing over the last couple of years. The items will benefit over 300 families in south county," Dotty said.

Central Middle School sixth-grader Katie Mosier, 11, was recently named the winner of the Clean Air Partners Earth Day poster contest.

As a result, Katie got to be Clean Air Partners/Washington Metropolitan Council of Government's special guest at the Earth Day celebration on the Washington National Mall on Sunday, where she was interviewed by WUSA TV-9's weatherman Howard Bernstein. The interview was broadcast on the Sunday evening newscast.

In the poster, Katie drew four pictures, one in each corner. In the middle, a big blue Earth divided the drawings. On the left side were problems caused by pollution, like acid rain and vehicle exhaust. On the right side were solutions, like planting trees and bicycling when possible.

She created the poster as a part of an assignment from Kelly Berkley, her science teacher. Berkley submitted the posters of those who wanted to participate in the contest.

That was in March.

Katie found out recently that out of the 300 posters, hers was selected as the first place winner.

"We couldn't tell anyone until the official announcement on Friday," Katie said.

Another Anne Arundel County student, Maddy Ramsey, took second place. Maddy is a sixth-grader at Old Mill Middle.

As part of her prize, Katie will receive $150 at a banquet for the six winners at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore on May 20.

The West/Rhode Riverkeeper will begin its free kayaking program on the first and third Thursday of each month starting May 6. The evening program will begin at 5 p.m. and end a half-hour before sunset.

Kayaks, paddles and life vests will be provided on a first-come, first served basis. Both single and tandem kayaks are available. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. In the event of inclement weather, kayaking will be canceled or postponed.

Chris Trumbauer, the riverkeeper, said that the program is held to provide an opportunity for the community to get out on the water.

The launching point is Discover Village in Shady Side. Boats set off from Parish Creek at the mouth of the South River.

For more information, visit www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org.

Around South County: Girl Scouts demonstrate Mrs. Avery's lost arts

2010-04-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Nicole Walls, 9, works with Kaitlyn Hynes, 13, to make a small braided rag rug at the Capt. Salem Avery Museum in Shady Side. The activity is part of the “Mrs. Avery’s Lost Arts” program at the museum.

By Mitchelle Stephenson

A century ago, south county women were the ultimate conservationists. They used scraps of fabric to make rugs to insulate the floors in their homes and used pieces of wood left over from carpentry and boat building projects to make toys for their children.

There was no quick trip to Target or Toys R Us at the turn of the 20th century.

As we recognize Earth Day, three south county teens have gone back in time, researched some of these lost crafts and are presenting them at the Salem Avery House in Shady Side. The program is called "Mrs. Avery's Lost Arts."

The programs run three Sundays in a row, the last will be on May 2. The arts are demonstrated from 1 to 4 p.m.

The project started about a year ago when Kaitlyn Hynes 13, Madison Frederics, 13, and Katherine Milbradt, 13, got together to think about their Girl Scout Silver Award projects.

The girls were already junior docents at the Salem Avery Museum, so they met with Vicki Peterson to discuss ideas for a project at the site.

At the time Vicki was a member of the museum and a volunteer. Since then, she has been named interim director.

Vicki said that the idea for a Lost Arts program wasn't new. She'd heard about such programs at other local museums. Once the idea came up, everyone agreed that it was something that they could do that would be long lasting.

"We wanted something that they could teach, something where we would have the packages put together," Vicki said.

So the girls set out investigating some of the lost arts and crafts that might have been practiced in the area.

Kaitlyn investigated the making of braided rag rugs. Last Sunday she held demonstrations at the site from 1 to 4 p.m.

She had carefully cut dozens and dozens of long strips of fabric in various patterns and colors. Patrons who participated in the demonstrations didn't complete full-sized rugs, but with the lesson from Kaitlyn, guests were able to take home small rag rug coasters.

The sturdy braided rugs that Mrs. Avery might have made 100 years ago look similar to what shoppers might find in home shopping catalogs like L.L. Bean.

But Mrs. Avery's rugs would have been made from leftovers.

Kaitlyn demonstrated how to tie the end and braid three strips of fabric together. Each strip was cut to three feet. At the end of the braiding, three new strips were basted on. This was done again until there was a nine-foot strip of braided cloth.

Then Kaitlyn showed visitors how to sew the cloth into a circle, twisting and adding stitches every now and again to keep the coiled cloth secured.

In the end, they would have a four-inch miniature round version of a braided rug.

Kaitlyn had as a sample a rug that her great-great-grandmother made in Baltimore.

"I had to make the sample through trial and error after reading the directions," Kaitlyn said.

Kaitlyn said that she found the instructions online.

"Pioneers wouldn't waste anything, and so the fabrics didn't have to match," Kaitlyn said.

This Sunday, Katherine will demonstrate the making of scrap pillows and on May 2, Madison will demonstrate the making of Jacob's Ladder wooden toys.

Don't worry if you can't make it to one of the demonstrations. Vicki said that the girls have made packages to keep at the museum, so that even when the girls aren't there, guests will be able to practice the lost crafts on their own.

In addition, the girls will demonstrate the lost arts on May 15 at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Open House on Carr's Wharf Road in Edgewater.

For more information about the Capt. Salem Avery Museum, visit www.shady sidemuseum.org.

Around South County: Schools win big at sport stacking and chess

2010-04-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — The Capital Joe Shenton, 10, begins the relay event in the 3-6-3 stack with Deale Elementary “Soaring Eagle” partners at the ready: Michael Hamlin, 10, Mina Work, 11, and Georgia Campbell, 10. The students hold the Maryland state record with a time of 0:19.25.

By Mitchelle Stephenson

Students at two south county elementary schools were recent winners in local and national competitions.

Students at Deale Elementary not only succeeded at the World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver, Colo., but also set records at regional competitions. Meanwhile, students at Davidsonville Elementary had a clean sweep at a county chess championship.

In Deale, Physical Education teacher Vern Brumfield mentors about two dozen second- through fifth-graders in sport stacking, also known as speed stacking or cup stacking. In the activity, students stack plastic cups into pyramids in a specific order, then break them down.

For example, the students will take 12 cups and stack a "Cycle," which is a 3-6-3, then a 6-6, then a 1-10-1. Some of the Deale competitors complete the Cycle stack in seven to eight seconds.

It is lightning fast.

Michael Hamlin, 10, just returned from the World Sport Stacking Championships on April 11, where 700 competitors from every continent competed.

"My best event is the 3-3-3," Michael said. This is where a competitor starts with nine cups and quickly makes and then breaks down three pyramids of three cups each.

Michael also competed in the Cycle, where he placed 11th in the world. The winning stacker, from Illinois, completed the Cycle in 6.08 seconds.

Michael competed in a team event with Joshua Brumfield, Vern's son and a student at Southern Middle. They made it to the finals, but were bested by a team from Germany.

The sport stacking season is now over, but other members of the Deale Elementary "Soaring Eagles" now hold records.

"We have one of the best teams east of the Mississippi," Vern said.

The four-person relay team of Michael, along with fifth-graders Georgia Campbell, 10, and Mina Work, 11, and fourth-grader Joe Shenton, 10, hold the Maryland record for the 3-6-3 stack with a time of 0:19.25.

Stacking came to the school about three years ago. Vern had purchased a set of cups and a timer to demonstrate the sport.

He was ready to show the kids how to do it when then-second-grade student Joe Shenton took the cups and gave a quick demonstration.

He'd been practicing at home.

"Joe was the fastest anyone had ever seen," Vern said.

Vern now credits Joe with bringing cup stacking to Deale.

After that, Vern started a club with about a dozen students. The team size has doubled since then.

Even Vern enjoys the sport and competition. He competed last weekend in Denver in the adult division.

Vern made it to the finals.

"But I choked. My cups were all over the floor. I was really nervous," Vern said.

Competition is open to anyone, four to 60 years old. Some competitors are affiliated with schools and teams, while some students compete on their own.

Vern said that he believes sport stacking helps children to develop in a variety of ways.

"Physically, it helps children to use both sides of the brain. Emotionally, it creates confidence because the students don't have to be athletic to succeed," Vern said.

"Getting them on a team helps them build self esteem, which is very important at this age," he said.

Vern noted that once children are on a team and begin to compete, they often practice at home because they take pride in improving not only for themselves, but also for their teammates.

"I want to show the kids that they can be successful," Vern said.

At Davidsonville Elementary, a small group of students who participate in a weekly chess club recently took trophies in a clean sweep at the "King of the Hill" county chess tournament, played earlier this month at the Severna Park Community Center.

The students played against teams from Hillsmere and Germantown Elementary schools.

Pamela Davis is the Davidsonville PTO coordinator of the club. The school had a club in the past, but this year, brought in chess coach Andrew Lubenski, who upped the level of play.

"Now the kids eat and sleep chess," Pamela said.

The students not only met once a week to practice play, but they also had chess homework.

They started in October. The club was open to any student in first through fifth grade.

They met before school with about 40 kids in all. It was so popular, they had to bring in a second coach - Chase Gwinn.

Pamela said that one of her goals was to have students play in a tournament, and Andrew found the one in Severna Park so they decided to sign up. Nobody was sure how they'd fare.

At King of the Hill, the Davidsonville students played 22 games in all, winning every one.

Andrew said that results like these are unheard of.

"With so many games played, there should be a few draws or some losses," Andrew said. "Shutouts are virtually unheard of in team chess."

The students who participated and won trophies were: third-graders Josh Gallatin and Noah Burckman; fourth-graders Connor Morris, Alex Rozner and Dylan Cyphers; and fifth-grader Enzo Cicchinelli.

The club is finished for the school year, but Pamela is hopeful that the success the team found this year will lure new chess enthusiasts when school starts again in the fall.

Around South County: Novice runners transform from couch potatoes to 5K ready

2010-04-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — The Capital Some of the members of the Riva Trace running club are shown completing their 2.5-mile run last Saturday. From left, Melody Creswell, Eric Grevin, Tina Simmons, Lisa Grevin and Sue Sturgell.

By Mitchelle Stephenson

Estate attorney Eric Grevin has been an avid runner since high school. In college, he was an NCAA Division III track and cross-country competitor. Eric, along with his wife Lisa - also an avid runner - have recently taken on the task of bringing the joy of running to about two dozen novice athletes at Riva Trace Baptist Church in Davidsonville.

The group started in January with a goal of completing the upcoming Tiger Trot 5K race at Central Elementary School in Edgewater. The 3-mile, PTA-sponsored race will take place at 8 a.m. April 24.

The Grevins started the running club 12 weeks ago.

"We started them out walking with a little running, now we have worked our way up to running with a little walking," Eric said.

Amy Krause is one of the runners. She is a 43-year-old grandmother who started the program as a way to stay healthy.

After last week's 2.5-mile trek around Riva Park in Davidsonville, Amy said that her new goal is to "run the Marine Corps Marathon one day."

The group runs together once a week on Saturday mornings. Eric said that everyone starts the run together, and runs the same distance, but they keep their own pace.

During the week, the club participants are expected to work out twice on their own. They are encouraged to keep a running journal to track their progress.

"The hardest thing is the consistency," Amy said. She tries to stay true to running three days a week.

Eric said that the training method he is using with the group is the "couch potato to 5K" run-walk-run method.

"Runners are encouraged to be able to carry on a conversation," Eric said.

Sandi Watt said that her daughter-in-law Jaime motivated her to begin the running program.

"She got me started, and she'll be running with me in the Tiger Trot," Sandi said.

Sandi will be attending her 40th high school reunion soon, and she wanted to step up her exercise regimen. She's always been a walker, but thought that she'd give running a try.

"Once you start running, you can't go back to walking," Sandi said.

After their run last week, some of the other women in the group joked that even though Sandi is 63, she seems to be the one in the club with the most energy.

As we talked on a chilly Saturday morning after the group's 2.5 mile run on April 3, Sandi bounced back and forth - looking like she was ready to run another 2.5 miles.

The participants come from all backgrounds: for example, there is a dental assistant, an office manager, a graduate student and a mortgage broker.

Eric sees running as a metaphor for life. "The discipline in that one area can spill over into other aspects of life. It can really make you a better person," Eric said.

Eric started to talk about the vitality and energy that running gives carries through the day.

All of the runners agreed with him that on the days they run, they feel like they have more energy, not less.

The group has another two weeks to practice before the big race April 24. By then, the 3.1 mile race will be just another weekly run.

As to the coaching effort that the Grevins have put in for the team, "we're really just their cheerleaders," Lisa said.

The Lothian Ruritan Club recently awarded five $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Earlier this year, the club asked local students to submit applications. The criteria for consideration included community service, letters of recommendation and scholastic achievement.

The recipients were Jacob Smith of Lothian; Benjamin Catterton III of Harwood; Julie Marie Crawford of Lothian; Jillian Dorr of Lothian; and Amanda M. Sullivan of Shady Side.

Around South County: It's all about the eggs

2010-04-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

By Mitchelle Stephenson

About a dozen teenage Girl Scouts from Troop 2422 of Riva and Edgewater took half a day off from school last Friday to host an egg hunt for preschoolers at Central Special School in Edgewater.

Troop leader, Becki Hutchison, said she surveyed the girls last fall about activities they'd like to do.

"We were brainstorming ideas, and I thought it would be fun to have an Easter egg hunt," Olivia Blandford, 14, said.

Becki said that she called around and found that most of the neighborhoods in the area already hosted their own egg hunts.

"So I decided to call schools. The closest in proximity was Central Special, and they were receptive," Becki said.

The hunt was set for 1 p.m., which meant that the Girl Scouts would get out of school for the afternoon.

The students who would be hunting were 3- and 4-year-olds at Central Special's Early Childhood Intervention preschool program. These are students with special needs including developmental delays like autism and Down syndrome.

Each Scout was responsible for filling three dozen plastic eggs with nonedible treats like stickers and miniature toys.

The rainy afternoon left them unable to hide the eggs outside, which was the original plan. The Scouts quickly adapted by hiding the eggs in the classroom.

The teachers took the children for a walk around the building.

The girls set to work hiding the eggs. There were plenty of nooks for hiding. The brightly colored eggs were hidden on the bookshelf, on the seats, in the toys, and alongside the building blocks.

Jo Guthrie is a lead teacher. She said that she couldn't recall having anyone do an egg hunt for the students. "But we are very excited, we are always happy to have volunteers to come in to help," Jo said.

When the children returned, they were given brightly colored bags, decorated with each child's name by Scout Courtney Pierce, 13.

The children took their bags and re-entered the classroom. Four-year-old Megan found a hot pink egg right away. Instead of putting it into her bag, she instead snapped it open. When she found a sticker inside, she excitedly clapped her hands, not even realizing that there were dozens more eggs to be found.The teens helped the children, pointing out hidden eggs and lending helpful encouragement when they made a find.

They may not have been on a mission to change how the public views today's teens, but their gentle help with these preschoolers certainly exposed their soft side.

On Saturday morning, the Davidsonville Ruritan Club also hosted an Easter egg hunt at their club headquarters on Davidsonville Road. This is the second year that the club has held the event. Carol Ann Sommer is the social chair and serves on the Ruritan board of directors.

"We don't make any money off of this event, we hope to break even,"she said.

They charged $5 per child, which included a hot dog lunch and a picture with the Easter bunny. There were also four tables of crafts and activities, including foam frames, paper plate bunnies, bookmarks, mazes and puzzles.

"We do this for community outreach," Carol Ann said.

President Bob Tomlinson was put to work processing the Easter bunny photos. He said that throughout the year they like to get out into the community to help wherever they can. He pointed to scholarship funds, an annual senior citizen dinner, work with local fire departments, events with the Boy and Girl Scouts, and their support of the Davidsonville Athletic Association.

Most of the money they make through the year for these activities comes from the rental of their facility and grounds. Those funds allow them to put on the events like the Easter egg hunt.

For the hunt, plastic eggs were filled with candy and hidden in the grassy field alongside the building.

The children spent about an hour eating their hot dog lunch, visiting with the Easter bunny and working on their crafts.

Then Carol Ann called them to the door by age. The littlest got their turn to hunt first, so they wouldn't be run over by the big kids. It didn't take long before all three age groups were out the door collecting their eggs.

And then, it didn't take long for the hundreds and hundreds of eggs to be scooped up. In about 15 minutes, the fields were cleared.

Sherri Burke brought her daughter Julieanna, 6. "My mom saw an ad in The Capital," Sherri said. "It took us about 30 minutes to get here, but I'm so glad we came. We really enjoyed ourselves," she said.

When asked what she most enjoyed about the event, little Julieanna admired her basket full of filled eggs and exclaimed without hesitation, "candy!"

E-mail your news to mstephenson@ capitalgazette.com.

Holy Family losing popular longtime priest

2010-04-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

Father Barr leaving Davisonville church after nearly 15 years

By Mitchelle Stephenson

Father Joseph Barr came to Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville in 1995. At the time, the church was home to about 900 families.

He watched his small country parish grow over the years - not only in terms of the number of parishioners, but also in the size of the building.

But now he is leaving.

Barr said that priests are typically assigned to parishes for six-year terms. While most serve two consecutive terms, it is unusual for a priest to stay on much longer before being transferred.

He figured the day would come when he would have to leave.

In March, Barr announced his departure to his congregation, now numbering about 1,600 families. He is being transferred to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Towson.

Barr said that there are several things that make him proud of his time at Holy Family.

First, Barr said that the building up of the ministry makes him proud. "Not just in terms of the construction, but also in staffing and in our ministries."

He gave the example of the St. Vincent de Paul group.

"With them, we work closely with Community Action and Anne Arundel County Social Services. When someone is eligible for food stamps or medical assistance, there is a waiting period before they can get into the system. So they call us and ask us to take care of the families so they don't fall through the cracks," Barr said.

He said that last year the St. Vincent de Paul group, which consists of about five members, helped with nearly $100,000 in outreach in that one area alone.

Barr also pointed to growth in the parish with staffing. For example, making the youth minister a full-time position.

Then there is the completion of the year-long construction project. It was many years in the planning and fundraising phase, and was just completed a couple of months ago.

The additions nearly doubled the usable space, plus added a social hall, classrooms for Christian education, a nursery and a Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

Next, Barr said that he is proud of being able to build relationships within the community.

Not only does he serve on the board at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, but he also helps with services at St. Jane Frances School in Pasadena and St. John the Evangelist School in Severna Park.

In addition, he's also worked with other churches in Davidsonville, including Davidsonville United Methodist, All Hallows Episcopal and Union Memorial United Methodist.

"There hadn't previously been a strong relationship." Barr said.

The parishioners at Rev. Jim Stutler's Davidsonville United Methodist are taking his departure hard he said.

"They're use to seeing me at the Peach Festival."

He has also been involved with the local police department, serving on the Chaplain Corps. These are ministers from a variety of faiths who ride with police, and conduct visits to officers in the field, at station houses, and in the hospital.

The Rev. Don Llewellyn with Linthicum Heights United Methodist Church also serves on the Corps.

"His warmth and compassion have and will continue to be an inspiration to the officers and staff," Llewellyn said.

But aside from many duties and extracurricular activities outside the parish, he will probably be missed the most by those in his flock. A common thread among those interviewed is that Barr is a gifted orator and homilist.

Ida Heck has been a parishioner at Holy Family for years - even before Barr was assigned. "I was there when we had Mass in the little chapel," Heck said.

"I always get something out of his sermons. There are times when I go without the kids just to listen. I know that there are people who will rearrange their schedule to go to his Mass," she said, adding that she was saddened to hear of his departure.

Tom Cosgrove, the president of the parish, council echoed those sentiments.

"When he gives a homily ... I don't know how he does it, I assume it is the Holy Spirit at work, but he delivers moving messages. It is directed at the congregation, but it makes people think, 'He was talking to me.' " Cosgrove said, adding that when they dedicated the church's Spiritual Life Center in December he was asked to speak.

In his talk, Cosgrove said that he remarked to Archbishop O'Brien of Baltimore that they needed to keep Barr around in order to figure out how best to use the new facility.

"At that time, I had a notion that he'd stick around another year or so … I knew it wouldn't last forever. He was here for 15 years, much longer than usual. We knew it was coming, but we were still a little surprised," he said.

Barr will stay at Holy Family until June 13. His first day at Immaculate Conception will be July 1.

One final aspect to the local priest's departure is how the Archdiocese of Baltimore will deal with the vacancy.

Cosgrove said that the Archdiocese personnel board will visit the parish on April 14, and on that day there will be an opportunity for members to have their say in what they want to see in a replacement priest.

Around South County: Horse rescue operation gallops into Edgewater barn

2010-02-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 02/18/10

Maryland has a long and proud history as a state that loves horses. The Maryland Jockey Club was founded in Annapolis in 1743, and the organizers of that club founded Pimlico in Baltimore - the second oldest thoroughbred track in America after Saratoga in New York.

So it makes sense that a group of people from Maryland would found a horse rescue - Freedom Hill Horse Rescue - to help these graceful creatures.

Freedom Hill was founded about six years ago in Calvert County, but recently added a location in Anne Arundel. The Edgewater barn, on Fiddler's Hill Road, has 15 stalls. One of the group's founders, Melody Parish, said that the Edgewater barn will become the main site for housing her group's rescued horses. There are currently about 10 horses kept there.

Melody said that horses come to be rescued by Freedom Hill in a variety of ways. Sometimes a horse is surrendered because the owner can't keep up with the expense or time involved. Sometimes the humane society or ASPCA might contact Melody to take on a horse that is abused or starved.

In addition, the group rescues horses at auction or from brokers who sell them for slaughter.

In some countries, horsemeat is a delicacy. Although eating horsemeat has long been taboo in some cultures, in many others it is regularly sold openly at market.

For example, in Muslim countries, it is unacceptable to eat horsemeat except in times of severe famine. In many English-speaking countries, like England, Ireland, the U.S. and Australia, it is forbidden by culture and sometimes by law.

But in other countries, it is not only acceptable, but widespread. According to trade numbers gathered by the Animal Welfare Council, Belgium, France and Italy slaughter several hundred thousand horses each year for consumption. China is one of the largest consumers, butchering over 1.7 million horses each year for food.

In the west, Mexico, Chile and Brazil are large consumers of horsemeat.

In fact, Mexico, along with our northern neighbor Canada, are the two main importers of American horses sold for slaughter.

In November, a group of women from Davidsonville got word that a broker in New Jersey had several horses that were headed for the slaughterhouse. There was an Arabian, a Haflinger, a pinto and one other.

Maria Alessandri and Mary Beth Shields got some money together and, along with Sharon Hancock, made arrangements to get Freedom Hill's horse trailer up to the auction.

The horses are now safe and sound at the Edgewater barn. In fact, two of the four may be adopted soon.

Melody said that once a horse comes to the rescue group, Freedom Hill's volunteers work to help the horse regain its health and vigor. A local veterinarian from Lothian, Dr. Susan Mende, checks the horses. In addition, the teeth and hooves are cleaned.

This is not an inexpensive enterprise. Each horse stays with Freedom Hill, on average, for three months.

The fee for buying a horse from a broker can range anywhere from $300 to $700. A month of food costs roughly $250. Although the veterinarian discounts her services, medical checks and visits come out of Freedom Hill's limited reserves. Finally, Freedom Hill leases barns and pastures.

In total, an animal rescued by the group can accrue costs of up to $2,500 in the three months before the animal can be adopted.

Melody said that she relies on about 15 volunteers to take care of the twice-daily feedings and stall-cleanings. In addition, volunteers work to raise money and make trips to auctions in the mid-Atlantic region, keeping horses from slaughter whenever they have the time and financial resources available.

Fortunately for Melody's group, some of the horse brokers are eager to see these horses live out their lives in good circumstances, and will alert Freedom Hill when perfectly good horses are headed for the kill pen.

Melody said that she tries to keep the adoption fee below the market value of the horse.

Looking at local horse classifieds shows that a Maryland riding horse typically starts at around $3,000 - with many costing 10 times that amount. Freedom Hill horse adoption fees run around $1,500, sometimes more, sometimes less.

In addition, Freedom Hill offers foster programs and, after a year of fostering, the fee for keeping the horse is kept to a low $50 to process the paperwork and transfer ownership.

"I do this for the horses," Melody said. "Horses are my life and somebody's got to take care of them," she said.

If you'd like to help Freedom Hill, visit them online at www.freedomhill rescue.org.

Around South County: Check out the upgrades at library

2010-02-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

Ruth Hazen checks out a book from circulation assistant Dawn Haddon at the new and improved South County branch of the public library. After a$1 million renovation, the library will host a ribbon cutting on Monday.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 02/11/10

The South County Library in Deale at 5940 Deale-Churchton Road has undergone a $1 million face-lift in recent months. In addition to doubling the meeting space, the facility also received additional parking space, security upgrades, new restrooms and upgrades to the interior lighting.

Pat Guyton, branch manager, is excited about the changes taking place, stating that a few years back the county upgraded the counter and office space, giving librarians an expanded area for their work.

"Now we have new lighting in the central area and behind the counter, and the stacks have brighter lighting," Pat said.

No new materials have been added to the branch, but the expansion has allowed librarians to expand the formerly crowded stacks into where the old meeting space was located. They also are starting a drive to raise money to buy new materials.

On Monday the new space will be officially introduced to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and daylong series of activities and performances.

At 1:30 p.m. County Councilwoman Tricia Johnson will present storytime in the children's area followed by the ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. with other county officials and library personnel.

In addition, the new meeting room will be put to good use throughout the day: the South County Showstoppers will give a dance performance at 2:45 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., "Ground," winners of the 2010 Battle of the Bands, will perform. An hour later, Southern Middle School students will perform under the direction of Richard Albright, and from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m., the Jim Ballard Jazz Quartet will play.

In February, 1968, the south county branch became the third library in the county system to be dedicated. The 6,100 square foot space was built for $164,080.

The building upgrade was approved in 2005 and funded in 2008. In September of last year, construction began. The library did not close to patrons during the construction phase. Although it was slated for completion in February, the project actually wrapped up last month - a month ahead of schedule.

The branch serves approximately 6,000 people each month. In the old meeting room, 79 people could be accommodated. Now, the room can hold 149 people.

Even before this Monday's dedication, the meeting space is getting use.Last Thursday the Deale Area Historical Society resumed holding their monthly meetings at the library.

Ruth Hazen, a member of the historical society said that they were looking forward to being back at the library. "I'm very excited to be able to meet in the new space. I think it is bigger and more appropriate for shows and inviting people in," Ruth said.

Ruth noted that the old meeting room was long and narrow, which made it difficult to host large groups. Now the room is square, so presentations can be visible from all parts of the room.

There is no cost to attend the library dedication party.

And - now that they've gone from 28 parking spaces to 66 - library visitors should be able to find a place to park.

Fourth-grader Caterina Grandi from Shady Side Elementary School was recently honored with an assembly and a visit from Louie, the mascot of the Bowie Baysox minor league baseball team.

Each year the Baysox host a program, "Read and Hit a Home Run." The program is sponsored by Educational Systems Federal Credit Union. Students from area schools are encouraged to read four books outside of their school curriculum. Students who do are rewarded with a free ticket to a Baysox game.

To launch this year's program, the Baysox asked local schoolchildren to submit drawings for the program's poster. They received more than 2,000 submissions.

Caterina joined Corrine Fisher from James Rider Randall Elementary in Clinton, as semi-finalist. The finalist will be selected later this month.

Around South County: Davidsonville Girl Scouts earn Gold Award

2010-02-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

From left, Emily Purcell, Amanda Fuhrmann, Kalyn Schneider and Jessica D’Ambrosio are shown at the ceremony where they received the Girl Scout Gold Award for their community service projects.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 02/04/10

Four local teenagers, Emily Purcell, Amanda Fuhrmann, Kalyn Schneider and Jessica D'Ambrosio, were recently acknowledged for substantial community service projects completed in the area. At a ceremony at the Davidsonville United Methodist Church, the girls each took home the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting.

Gwen Purcell, the troop's leader watched as the girls dreamed up their projects, selected outside advisers and shepherded their ideas from conception to completion. She has been the troop leader for 14 years.

"We started out as Daisies, most from Edgewater Elementary," Gwen said.

She said that completion of a Gold Award project is a real learning experience, and that all of the girls gained valuable leadership skills.

"They learn a lot about the real world because the work requires them to go outside of Scouting and into the community. One of them had to work with a school principal, one with the Boys and Girls Club, one with veterinarians," Gwen said.

Each of the girls came up with a project proposal and then went through the local Girl Scout Council to have the project approved. Gwen said that she liked seeing how the girls learned to organize themselves and manage their time.

Emily is Gwen's daughter and currently a college freshman. Emily's project was a Pet Health and Safety Expo that was held at South Arundel Veterinary Hospital in Edgewater. Emily estimated that about 150 people attended.

At the expo, information was distributed about what to do with a pet in an emergency situation, such as a natural disaster and basic pet first aid. In addition, there was a Rita's Italian Ice stand for dogs, a moon bounce for children, and a staff member from the veterinary office on site to insert microchips into dogs.

Emily decided on the pet theme for her project because she has a long family relationship with South Arundel Veterinary. Emily said that she wanted her project to be about helping people in the community and their pets.

South Arundel was thrilled that they had someone to plan and carry out the event.

"What made it special for me was knowing that I was helping these local families to know how to take the best care of their pets in the event of a disaster. I had heard countless stories about families and pets that were split up from Hurricane Katrina, and if something like that ever happened here I now know that those families will be reunited," Emily said.

Jessica made seven podiums for the new Sunday School classrooms at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville. Jessica has been with Gwen's troop for three years.

"I wanted to do something for the church. I wasn't sure what, but I met with Father Barr, and we discussed some of the things that the funding for the new construction couldn't cover," Jessica said.

Father Barr and Jessica decided on the podiums, and from there Jessica set to work on finding funding and acquiring materials. She enlisted the help of her grandfather, Adam Jentilet, who is an accomplished woodworker.

"I've been helping him build things since I was 10," Jessica said.

A parishioner provided funding for the project. Jessica said that she learned a lot about woodworking.

"I learned to appreciate what people make. It is a lot of work, and I didn't realize all this work that went into one little podium," Jessica said.

Amanda has been in the troop for six years. She built a mobile storage unit for Davidsonville Elementary School. The unit will store gym and recess equipment.

Amanda had to find funding for her project, and she found help by way of the Davidsonville Ruritan Club. The club's only stipulation was that Amanda's project be local and helpful to the Davidsonville community.

Amanda reached out to the school principal, Jean Marie Hofstetter, who said that she would be happy to have Amanda build something for the school.

"I feel really good that I was able to create something that the school will be able to use for a really long time. We delivered it and there were kids in the hallway saying, 'wow,' and it gave me a really proud feeling," Amanda said.

Kalyn has been with Gwen's troop since she was a Girl Scout Daisy. Kalyn held a one-day event at the Boys and Girls Club at Bates in Annapolis.

"The project was held to help build self-esteem," Kalyn said.

Gwen said that she felt Kalyn's project had additional challenges because it took a long time for the council to grant approval. Once the project was approved, with somemodifications to the original plan, there was a time crunch to get everything completed.

"I was impressed with Kalyn's project because of the resources she was able to pull together quickly." Gwen said.

"We had Whole Foods come in to do a healthy foods demonstration, we had arts and crafts, safety information, games and Betty Hepler came and performed music for the children," Kalyn said.

The event was held over a six-hour period for about 150 children, ages 4 to 12. "I always like helping others. Seeing the impact on them," Kalyn said.

Kalyn is carrying on the lessons Gwen instilled by having her own Girl Scout troop. Although she has attained the highest level of Scouting in her own Girl Scout career, she has taken on a group of Girl Scout Daisies to lead.

"I'm showing them, going through the Daisy petals, talking about helping others and doing a service project. The Daisy level is about responsibility and making the world a better place," Kalyn said.

Around South County: South county residents reach out to help Haiti

2010-01-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

Students in the Introduction to Leadership class, from left, Clare Bubniak, Holly Hagerty, Wren Droege and Lyndse Hokanson, stand in front of the shoes collected at South River High School. The shoes will be sent to Haiti to help earthquake survivors. Mitchelle Stephenson — For The Capital

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 01/28/10

Two local public schools have been working hard to help earthquake survivors in Haiti. South River High School in Edgewater and Shady Side Elementary School have signed on with the national charity, "Soles 4 Souls." They help deliver shoes to not only people in third-world nations like Haiti, but also the needy here in the states.

South River signed on after philanthropist and activist Brian Williams (not the news anchor) came to their school in the fall to give a presentation about the the group's shoe collection and distribution effort. Brian previously founded "Think Kindness," and serves on the board of Soles 4 Souls.

Part of the philosophy of Soles 4 Souls is that if each person who gets involved can bring in a few others, the efforts of a few people can quickly grow to encompass an entire community.

Shelley Finkelstein, a teacher at South River leads an Introduction to Leadership year-long course that helps students hone leadership skills. The class is open to any student, and many are club presidents and team captains at South River.

"Some kids aspire to be leaders," Shelley said, adding that each year the leadership class takes on several service projects. For example, in the fall, they collected nearly 100,000 pounds of food for Harvest for the Hungry. As part of that effort, they are always looking for groups and organizations to partner with for their community outreach.

This past fall, local business owner Joe Van Deuren, who serves on the school's Business Advisory Board, heard about Soles 4 Souls and offered to fly Brian from California to Annapolis to make his pitch for the shoe program.

After Joe brought Brian in, the students were so inspired that they brought him back so that the teachers and administrators could hear his presentation.

The students took Brian's advice to heart and after a few short weeks the Introduction to Leadership class had brought in many of the school's other clubs, including Youth Rise, Success Team, the National Honor Society, the Music Honor Society, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the girls soccer team and more.

The students decided to conduct "23 Days of Kindness" by trying to collect 2,300 pairs of shoes.

Students and teachers at the school were tasked with bringing in slightly used shoes or cash contributions. Soles 4 Soles has deals with shoe companies to purchase two pairs of shoes for each $5 donation.

In the middle of the shoe drive, the earthquake in Haiti happened, and the students decided they wanted their shoes to head to the tattered Caribbean nation.

A few of the principle players in the class and the Soles 4 Souls project are 17-year-olds Clare Bubniak, Holly Hagerty, Wren Droege and Lyndse Hokanson.

To get the word out to fellow students, one of the leadership class participants, Ky Wildermuth, created a video explaining the purpose of the shoe drive and encouraging students to bring in "just one pair." Ky's video directorial debut was recognized last year when he entered an online competition and won a cameo in the film, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

To continue the drive, students organized a walk-a-thon for April 10 in Crofton, beginning at 10 a.m. At the "Walk a Mile 4 Their Shoes Walk-a-thon," cash donations or gently used shoes can be dropped at any time at the starting location - Crofton Country Club, 1691 Crofton Parkway. Minimum pledge to walk the three-mile course is $20. The event originally was scheduled for this Saturday but changed because of the forecast of snow.

Further information about the shoe drive, pledge forms for the walk and Ky's video are available at www.soles4 soulsfundraising.org/srhs.

At Shady Side Elementary, about 70 students who are participating in the school's Volunteer Club, led by teacher Jennifer Sturgell, also decided to work on a shoe drive for the same group - Soles 4 Souls.Over the past week, they've been collecting gently used shoes to send to Haiti. They focused their drive on work boots, sneakers and children's shoes. In a little less than a week, they've collected over 250 pairs of shoes.

Parent volunteer Lillian LeCroy said that the "collection is great for children because it is tangible and they can all help by donating their own shoes." Lillian's husband Phillip traveled to Haiti and some of the photos he took were used in the posters announcing the school's shoe drive.

They are accepting shoes in the front office today and tomorrow at the school, 4859 Atwell Road in Shady Side.

Local photographer Linda McCarthy of Visual Concepts in Davidsonville last year had the honor of photographing the Thorpe family of Annapolis for a family portrait. Frank Thorpe Sr. had just retired from the Navy and his son, Frank Jr. and daughter-in-law Jillian were headed to Haiti to perform missionary work.

Jillian was caught in the earthquake and miraculously survived after being rescued by her husband, whom she reached on her cell phone They have since returned safely to Annapolis.

Linda was so touched by their story that she is encouraging people to donate to Haitian relief efforts by offering a free sitting and 5x7 photo session to those who contribute at least $50 to www.haitianheroes.com. For more details on the offer, visit www.visualconceptsltd.com.

Around South County: Relay for Life cancer benefit starts fundraising season

2010-01-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 01/21/10

The Relay for Life is an annual fundraiser and event for the American Cancer Society, hosted to honor the survivors of cancer, to remember lost loved ones, and to fight back against the disease.

South county will host its own Relay for Life event at South River High School in Edgewater on June 11 and 12.

At the event, teams are called upon to have at least one member walking the track throughout the night. The relay was started in 1985 by an Oregon surgeon, Dr. Gordy Klatt, who walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, the relay has become one of the largest such fundraising events, with over 3.5 million participants in 5,000 communities.

Last Thursday, the south county Relay for Life organizers hosted a kickoff at Londontowne Community Center in Edgewater with a potluck supper where cancer survivors were feted for having made it to another birthday, and teams were able to get together to begin focusing on their fundraising efforts.

Cindy Ringer, this year's event chairwoman, got involved when her daughter joined a local fire department team. The event hits home for Cindy because she lost her father to cancer when she was pregnant.

"I walk for those who can't," Cindy said.

From now until the relay in June, teams will meet with organizers on the second Tuesday of each month at Chesapeake Christian Fellowship in Davidsonville. New teams can sign up at those meetings, or by going online to www.relayforlife.org/saac. There are 28 teams on the roster.

Cindy said that they are hoping for 60 teams and to raise $180,000 this year. Each team is limited to between five and 20 members, but can consist of anyone who wants to join - families, friends, coworkers or clubs. The cost is $10 per participant. Once a team reaches 20 people, they start a new team.

That's how Cindy's daughter Ashley got involved. When the fire department's team got too big, Ashley started her own Ashley's Angels. When that team hit 20 members, they started Ashley's Angels II.

The money raised goes directly to the American Cancer Society to fund treatment and research.

Dede Connelly joined her friend's group, "United We Stand," which was started by Jimmy and Nancy Herr. Dede's husband and sister are both cancer survivors.

"My sister had breast cancer and the cancer society supplied her with new bras, wigs, and pillows and blankets that were handmade for cancer patients," Dede said. "Until they did that for my sister, I had no idea that they did that sort of thing," she said.

"They also had workshops to do her makeup and make her feel beautiful. I want to help raise money for that," Dede said.

Cindy has plenty of help in organizing. Marcy Owens is a member of Ashley's Angels, and an event coordinator. This year's event theme is "Celebrating More Birthdays," Marcy said.

"At the kickoff we honored 12 of our survivors, who together have celebrated an additional 145 birthdays," she said.

Marcy got involved after her son joined Ashley's team. "Once we attended a meeting, we knew it was worth the time and energy. It is a fundraiser, but it is so much more than that. It is community. It's people coming together to help each other, to celebrate and remember and to work toward a common goal of getting rid of cancer," Marcy said.

Davidsonville Elementary School hosted the return of the National Geographic Geography Bee to the school Jan. 13. Parent Jodi Doney was the coordinator of this year's event, which is limited to students in the fourth and fifth grades.

There were 16 students who signed up in October. They met once a week before school. Fourth-grade teacher Jan Kerr was the faculty adviser, and helped to gather geography books for the children to study. In addition, they accessed National Geographic's online activities and quizzes.

On the day of the competition, the 16 students lined up on the stage, all dressed alike in blue shirts. Faculty adviser Kerr was the reader. There were seven rounds of questions, and at the end of the seven rounds, the 10 students with the most correct answers moved on to the next round. From there, three were selected as finalists, and from those one winner was crowned.

The winning student has the opportunity to take a proctored, written test that will be forwarded to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In each state, the top 100 scorers from elementary and middle school participate in a state competition. From there, the top 50 state winners go to the National Spelling Bee in Washington - emceed by "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebeck.

The questions were about details of geographic features like lakes and mountains, as well as capitals, boundaries, and cultural characteristics of places both domestic and foreign.

Teachers Kristy Snyder and May Murphy helped with scoring and time-keeping.

The kids answered a good number of the difficult questions correctly.

At the end of the seven rounds, the top 10 finalists were: Lyndsay Brooks, Max Meinhold, Grace Turner, Rachel Mathers, Brett Colburn, Morgan Mathers, Alex Rozner, Jodee Nieman, Ray Ritter and Madison Shannahan.

Kerr said that she had to take time to study the questions as the reader because many of the foreign words required intense pronunciation practice.

Scorekeeper Snyder said that she was surprised at the breadth of knowledge of the students.

At the finals, first place went to Lyndsay Brooks, fifth grade; second place went to Ray Ritter, fourth grade; and third place went to Brett Colburn, fifth grade.

"I was kind of scared because I wasn't sure how hard the questions would be," Lyndsay said. She took the written test on Friday and will find out in a few weeks if she will follow in the footsteps of her older brother, Connor Brooks, currently in 10th grade, who went to the state competition in 2007.

Around South County: Lothian man creates art with chainsaw

2010-01-15T06:06:00.000-08:00

Richard Chaney stands in his shop of finished chainsaw carvings.

By MITCHELL STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 01/14/10

Richard Chaney lives on a sprawling farm off of Greenock Road in Lothian. He hails from a long line of Chaneys that have lived in the area for generations.

The old property has a main farmhouse - replete with wraparound porch - a long, winding driveway and a few outbuildings.

One of the outbuildings - a former sheep barn - has been converted into a workspace, shop and gallery for Richard and his unique collection of finished chainsaw wood sculptures, which he sells to the public.

Richard said that when he was in high school, he went to work for his father at Chaney Enterprises. After a while, he ended up with his own firm, an ice-delivery company called On the Rocks.

As an ice-delivery man, Richard made drop-offs at restaurants, bars and hotels throughout the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro areas.

One of the people he met in his line of work was Gary Fick, the owner and chef at The Crossing at Casey Jones restaurant in La Plata in Charles County. Gary would order large pieces of ice from Richard to create ice sculpture centerpieces for his catering business.

Richard said that he had previously taken an interest in ice sculpting when he was about 18 years old.

"My mom took me to Baltimore to see an ice-carving show," Richard said.

Richard was about 30 years old when hemet Gary, but immediately took an interest in the nuts and bolts of using a chainsaw to create ice sculptures.

Richard said that Gary showed him how to do it, and it wasn't long before Richard was taking on work as an ice artist for hotels in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. He even created sculptures for special events - like the Naval Academy graduation ceremony.

Although he had no formal training in either art or food service, Richard was talented enough to take on exhibition work, too, where a venue would hire him to create a sculpture out of a block of ice in front of a live audience.

"I've done that all over - at fairgrounds and the like," Richard said.

"But the frustrating thing about ice is that you don't get to keep the result of your labor for too long," he said.

It melts.

So Richard turned to wood. Since he lived on a farm and knew plenty of other south county families that had downed trees, he began practicing his chainsaw craft on wood. He uses any kind of wood - oak, cherry, cypress, mahogany.

"Anything really except pine," Richard said.

It has been about 15 years now since he made the switch from ice to wood. He has since sold the ice delivery company, given up most of the ice sculpting work and converted his energy to being a wood sculpture artist.

The converted sheep barn is filled with all sorts of interesting sculptures. There are fish, birds, bears, an alligator with plenty of sharp teeth, mobiles, furnishings and more. The pieces sell for anywhere from $40 for a small whale to $3,000 for the large bear that sits out in front of the shop.

The pieces are surprisingly detailed.

Richard's philosophy is that the wood determines what the end product will be. A curved piece of wood that came out of the center of a rotted tree becomes an arced, jumping fish - with a knot in the wood serving in the perfect spot as the eye. A multihued piece of red cedar became a turtle, with the white knuckles of the wood becoming the turtle scutes of the carapace.

A downed tree that had two branches splitting out from the center got turned upside down to become a bear with two separate legs.

Chaney calls his work "finished chainsaw carving" because each piece is completed with a sanding that gives it a soft finish, not the rough edges and corners of most chainsaw wood sculptures.

Chaney opens his shop to the public on Saturdays at 5402 Greenock Road in Lothian. He also has a Web site at www.wildwooddecor.com. His work is also available for show and sale at local restaurants: Neptunes in North Beach and Thursdays in Galesville.

Send your news to AroundSoCo@verizon.net.

Around South County: Southern student wins national art award

2010-01-15T06:05:00.000-08:00

Katie Emmitt discusses her paintings with art teacher Michael Bell at Southern High School. Katie, who took up painting only two years ago, was named the National Arts Education Association “Rising Star” award winner last month.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 01/07/10

Southern High School has won quite a few honors in 2009. The school was named a Maryland Blue Ribbon school early in the year, and nabbed the national Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education in September.

In December, the school also found out that one of their own students, Katie Emmitt, was named as a national winner of the National Arts Education Association "Rising Star" award.

Katie was selected from among thousands of applicants across the country. Her teacher, Michael Bell, nominated her.

Bell has been an art teacher at the Harwood school for 15 years. He nominated Katie in 2008, too - the award is only open to high school juniors and seniors - but she didn't win. He had so much confidence in her, that he resubmitted her name for 2009.

Surprisingly, Katie has only been painting for two years. She signed up for an art class in her sophomore year. She hadn't really taken an interest in art prior to that. In the second semester of that year-long art class, she was introduced to painting. She signed up again her junior year and began painting in oils.

"She is a really hard worker. As an artist, her work ethic is second to none," Bell said.

"Whatever I throw at her, she works tirelessly. She is by far the best student artist I've ever had in my 15 years of teaching," Bell said.

Katie now works mostly in oil on canvas. She said that she likes painting portraits and figures. In the art room at Southern, several of her paintings sit on easels near a window. There are three paintings with images of a girl in various poses - a series of the same subject from different angles. Katie said she likes to play with looking at things from all sides, and showing opposites in her art. She also likes pairing her art with psychology and hopes in her future career to either teach art or use art as therapy.

Aside from her work ethic with art, she is also striving to reach her future career goals. She is currently taking a mix of AP classes. She's been accepted to the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. the California College of Art and Design, Pratt Institute in Baltimore, and the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

She is the school's Art Honor Society president, the Senior Class vice president and one of 36 selected county public school "Gifted Visual Arts Program" student artists.

She is also active in her community. She was part of a group of students commissioned to paint a mural Giant Food in Edgewater. She also helped with a mural at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie. She also participated in the December Muddy Creek Artist's Guild artist's showcase in Edgewater.

Katie credits mother with modeling a strong work ethic. "She's a really hard worker," Katie said, adding that her mom is very proud of her for her accomplishments.

The award will be presented to Katie at the NAEA annual conference in April. Katie will have an opportunity to present her portfolio in a slide show and then deliver remarks. Katie will be bringing her mom, Michael Bell, and Sue Owens, the coordinator of art for the county school system.

The Shady Side Rural Heritage Society will launch its Winter Luncheon Lecture Series next Wednesday. There will be six speakers presented on six consecutive Wednesdays. Most of the speakers are local and will discuss topics relevant to the area. The cost for the series is $85, or $17 for an individual program. All talks are given in the main meeting room at the Captain Salem Avery House, 1418 EW Shady Side Road in Shady Side. A different homemade soup is served after each presentation, along with an assortment of desserts and beverages.

On Jan 13, Heather Ersts of the Historic Annapolis Foundation will talk about the care and stewardship of the more than one million artifacts, decorative and fine arts objects maintained by the foundation. Lunch for this program is chili with cornbread.

On Jan. 20, Kathleen Litchfield of Petro Design/Build will present, "Inside Out: Relating Gardening to the House." Chicken with rice soup will be served with crusty bread.

On Jan. 27, Andy and Viki Garte will present a program on folk music. Meatball soup will be served.

On Feb. 3, author Mary Kary Ricks will discuss her book, "Escape on the Pearl," about the largest escape attempt on the Underground Railroad. Lunch is tortellini soup.

Feb. 10 will feature Naval Academy Prof. Howard Ernst, who will talk about his book, "Fight for the Bay. Lunch will be bean soup with crusty bread.

On Feb. 17, the final presentation will be by Melanie Lynch, who will discuss her essay on how Ospreys rebounded from near extinction. Soup for this presentation is potato.

To reserve a seat, call 410-266-8846.

Around South County: Children's food drive assists 10 families

2010-01-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

At a food drive held despite the big December snowstorm, Poplar Point/Shadow Point children Michelle Ponder, 17, Madelyn McAteer, 11, and Molly McAteer, 9, collect donations from homeowner Eileen Martini.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 12/31/09

There are many charities in Anne Arundel County. Some of the groups collect food to feed needy families and many are run by churches or service organizations. But few are carried out soley by children, as was the case in the Poplar Point and Shadow Point neighborhoods in Edgewater on the Sunday after the big snowstorm when a group of kids carried out their annual food drive to help local families in need.

The idea for the food drive emerged about 10 years ago, when then-teenager Carrie Ponder came up with an idea to get some of her neighborhood friends together to help the needy. She prepared a flyer asking local kids to attend a meeting to come up with a service project for the neighborhood, "just for fun." Carrie and her sister Michelle, about 7-years-old at the time, distributed the flyers to every household with children.

At the meeting that followed, they decided to help out needy families in the area by conducting a food drive.

The girls phoned social services and requested a list of families in the area who might need help with a meal during the holidays. Then they set a date for collection and went about making and distributing flyers to all of the 75 homes in the two neighborhoods.

The food drive became an annual event, with both Carrie and Michelle participating. One year they collected enough food to feed about 35 families.

But as often happens, as the children got older or moved away, the effort waxed and waned.

But this year, Michelle, now 17, decided to revisit the endeavor with renewed vigor. She sent flyers to the kids in the neighborhood, contacted social services and also Hiroko Kolb, at the Head Start program in Anne Arundel County. She got the names of local families in need and also a contact for giving any leftover food or monies to Head Start families.

In previous years, they had worked the neighborhood just prior to Thanksgiving, but this year the Ponder family was in Australia for older sister Carrie's wedding, so they scheduled the event for Dec. 20.

But the day before the slated food collection, the region was socked with nearly 2 feet of snow.

Michelle, figuring that most people would be stuck at home anyway, gathered her posse of seven neighborhood children and set out to make the rounds. They started at 10:30 a.m., and didn't finish until after 5 p.m.

The group included: Gus Kallas, 6; Diego Maldonado, 6; Fabiana Maldonado, 10; Skylor Cortright, 10; Snowy Cortright, 7; Madelyn McAteer, 11; and Molly McAteer, 9.

Normally they would use wagons to do their collection run, but at the time of their Sunday effort, the neighborhood streets hadn't been plowed. Michelle's mom Ellen stepped in and drove the group around in her Jeep.

Ellen said the there were a couple of long driveways, but the kids wanted to try to get to all of the homes.

"A lot were so thrilled that we'd come by. Neighbors didn't think we'd come with the weather," Ellen said.

"It was tough this year, with two feet of snow, but it is worth it," Michelle said. "With some of the longer driveways, it is tough to decide whether to go down, but one of the littler kids said that it is definitely worth it. So it is great to pass along to the younger kids that this kind of thing is worth it," she said.

Once they finished gathering the food, they returned to the Ponder house where they spend several hours sorting all of the food and money.

The neighborhood was very generous. One neighbor gave $100 in cash plus grocery donations.

With the collection effort, the kids were able to provide complete Christmas dinners to 10 families in the Edgwater, Annapolis and Arnold areas.

Michelle shopped for a main course - ham or turkey - for each family, and provided bread, vegetables and sides.

Once each dinner package was ready for delivery, Michelle phoned the families using the information provided by social service staff. She would make arrangements for a convenient time to make the drop off.

"It feels really good. Sometimes you forget about what you have when you are so fortunate. When we deliver the food you see the families and see that they are without some of the things I take for granted. I think it is pretty low-key, but doing something so small is huge and it feels really good to do that for people," Michelle said.

Michelle thinks that this might be the last year for her family to head up the effort. With her older sister living in Australia and Michelle heading off to college next fall, it will be necessary to leave the organizational effort to the next group of Poplar Point/Shadow Point kids. But Michelle is optimistic that the neighbors will carry the effort into the future.

"That was one of the reasons why I wanted the littler kids involved," Michelle said.

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Around South County: Youth choir invited to sing at National Tree

2010-01-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

Courtesy photo Jeff Myers, left, and Charles Case rehearse as part of the Voices in Praise choir.

By Mitchelle Stephenson, For The Capital

Published 12/24/09

The youth choir at Friendship United Methodist Church, Voices In Praise, recently was invited to participate in festivities in Washington, D.C., at the National Christmas Tree and the Pageant of Peace.

Unfortunately for the 40 teenagers, Mother Nature had other plans in the form of a winter storm that paralyzed the region and caused their performance to be canceled.

Holly Reynolds Lee is the director of the group. She has been conducting the choir for a dozen years. Earlier this year, she saw a call for performers and sent information off to the National Park Service, which manages the Pageant of Peace.

To her surprise and delight, Voices in Praise was notified in the fall that the group was invited to perform on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. at 8 p.m. Dec. 19.

Charles Case, 17, is one of the performers and a member of the choir for about three years. Before joining Voices in Praise, he didn't even know that he had a passion or a talent for singing. But once he was introduced to the group, he was hooked. Now he not only sings with Voices in Praise, but he has also joined most of the vocal and drama programs at his school - Southern High School in Harwood. He even has plans to pursue music in college next year.

Although he has traveled internationally with the choir, the news that they were going to sing at one of the big local events of the holiday season had him pretty excited.

"I thought it was just about the coolest thing in my whole lifetime," Charles said.

But when he heard the forecast last week, he said he was disappointed.

"Stuff like that happens and there is nothing you can do to control it," Charles said.

Another performer, Dylan Fredericks, 17, was also excited about the performance.

"It was a very good opportunity, and we had a good time slot. We were all bummed," Dylan said.

But the students learned shortly after the cancellation of their Saturday performance that another group, one slated to perform on Monday night, had missed its flight. The Park Service was looking for a local group to fill the slot.

Holly said that when she got the call canceling the performance, "my heart sank. This was one of the performances that my singers were really looking forward to."

They already had their 30-minute set list, which included songs like "Carol of the Bells" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." The park service simply moved Voices in Praise to 6 p.m. Dec. 21.

Alas, the area for the performers wasn't cleared of snow by Monday afternoon and the Park Service again canceled all the evening performances.

Mary Brooke Umhau, 15, has been in the choir for three years. "We were singing a really pretty arrangement of 'Shepherd's Pipe Carol' by John Rudder, and it is just a fantastic piece of music. They play it on the radio, so it is fun to be able to say, 'Hey, I sing that one,' " Mary said.

The group has had a number of opportunities to perform outside of the parish. In 2006, they traveled as a group to Ireland, singing in Galway, Dublin and Belfast. They visited a variety of places, including churches, but also children's hospitals and shelters.

Last summer they traveled to Texas and did a weeklong tour.

"We went as a whole choir, and we did a lot of charity work, singing for a lot of different people. We sang at the Alamo, homeless shelters, at a children's hospital to children with terminal illnesses," Charles said.

Holly accepts anyone who comes and wants to participate. The group performs a mix of classics, contemporary and gospel music.

Mary, Charles and Dylan all said that the main reason they like the choir - apart from singing - is the friendships they have forged through their experience.

Fortunately for the parishioners of Friendship United Methodist Church, the Voices in Praise choir will be performing at the Christmas Eve service at 8 p.m. today at the church in Friendship - between Deale and Owings just off Route 2.

They will also be performing a free Epiphany concert for the community on Jan. 10 at Friendship United Methodist. If they get the opportunity to perform at the National Tree in the next few days, information will be posted to their blog: voicesinpraise.blogspot.com.

Students at Lothian Elementary School created and sent 210 greeting cards to troops earlier this month. The children, with the help of their art teacher, Donna Schmitz, and the coordinating efforts of the American Legion, participated as part of the Holiday Greetings for Heroes program.

"The students realize that it is hard to be away from family and friends and wanted to show their gratitude to the soldiers for serving our country," Donna said.

The cards will be distributed to soldiers from Maryland.

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Around South County: Group raises money to help soldiers with expenses

2009-12-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — For the Capital Pam Parks hangs another donated gift card on the “Soldier Tree.” This is the third year that her group, Hero Helpers of South County, has helped to collect and deliver grocery and gas station gift cards to soldiers and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 12/17/09

About three years ago, Pam Parks, who owns Parks Liquors in Deale, heard through media reports that soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center were struggling with day-to-day expenses - little things like clothing, phone cards and groceries were creating a hardship on wounded soldiers and their families. So Pam contacted her friend Ellie Osborne to find out what the two of them could do to help.

A few weeks later, Hero Helpers of South County was formed, and to date, they've raised thousands of dollars to help wounded soldiers and their families who are in our area because of the medical care they receive at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C.

This past weekend, Hero Helpers hosted their third annual "Soldier Tree," where they asked friends, customers and community members to bring gift cards for wounded soldiers and hang them on a small artificial tree on the liquor store's front counter.

"They like gift cards to places like Safeway, Giant, Walmart, and Kmart - both for those staying at Walter Reed and those on an outpatient basis," Pam said.

She explained that for the families of the soldiers, coming to Washington and having to manage the expense of groceries and gas can be a strain. After all, both the soldiers and their families are usually far away from their jobs and the comforts of home.

Ellie and Pam have been friends for years. Ellie and her husband, the late Edwin Osborne, served in the Army in a medical capacity. Both Ed and Ellie received treatment at Walter Reed - Ed for exposure to Agent Orange and Ellie for breast cancer.

"They're a wonderful crew over there. I can't say enough good things about the staff at Walter Reed," Ellie said.

After their initial conversation in March 2007, Pam thought that Ellie would be a natural to help think of ways to help the soldiers. With her medical background and recent experience at Walter Reed, Ellie was ready to give back to the military hospital.

They recruited other locals, including: Denise Oldham, Sue Real, Karen Mitchell, Lucy Whittington, Helen McConnel and Kelly Blackstock.

The group held their first event, a bake sale, in 2007, with people from the community contributing baked goods. It was held in the parking lot of Pam's liquor store and gas station on Bay Front Road. The sale netted several hundred dollars.

Next, they held a yard sale, and then in the summer a day-long festival and car show at Gino's Field in Lothian. For that they got a bus donated so that some of the soldiers could come down and enjoy a day of music and community.

Over the years, they've raised several thousand dollars, at these events - including more bake sales, yard sales, festivals, and dances - all of which they have handed over to the soldiers and their families at Walter Reed.

Their contact at the Army facility, Linda Rasnake, also calls on Pam when she needs something special.

"Not too long ago, Linda called, she was having a baby shower for some of the expectant moms. We went out and bought 10 diaper bags and filled them all with baby stuff," Pam said.

Once they've had an event, Hero Helpers uses the money to buy needed items, which they personally deliver.

Despite her experience as an Army nurse, Ellie said that visiting the soldiers is still a shock.

"I've seen things, but it is still a shock to see young people with no arms and no legs. One of the things was a man sitting in a bed with his little baby. He didn't have any legs and his one arm had been blown off," she said.

The women are humbled by the stories of the soldiers and their families. But Ellie stressed that ensuring that these families have means to live fulfilling lives once they leave Walter Reed is still an open question.

"I think, 'How is he going to make it?' We need to do everything we can do. We have to take care of these families and these children. That is what we are hoping for, " Ellie said.

They hope to build their group towards becoming a nonprofit that can someday set up a scholarship fund to help the children of the wounded.

Until then, "we just enjoy doing it," Ellie said.

If you would like to contribute to the soldier tree, drop off your gift card at Park's Liquor on Bay Front Road in Deale.

The Southern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce also put out a tree this year to help local families. The Angel Tree at BB&T in Deale was taken down earlier this month. The wish list for the 27 boys and girls from the Head Start program in Shady Side had all been met by Dec 5.

Carmelia Hicks is the coordinator for Head Start and Early Head Start, federal programs that help pregnant women and children through age 5. The programs are run out of the Lula G. Scott Center in Shady Side.

Carmelia gave the chamber the names, ages and sizes of 27 boys and girls from the program.

Carla Catterton is the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. With the help of BB&T bank manager Lisa Purner, the tree was set up in the bank lobby with 27 angel tags.

Participants were asked to take a tag and use the information to give an item of clothing or a toy so that each child would have two gifts. Gifts were to be placed under the BB&T tree, wrapped.

"I was almost in tears when I walked in to BB&T and saw all the gifts that were there," Carla said.

The gifts were delivered to the Lula G. Scott Center on Dec. 5, where the families enjoyed a holiday social, complete with refreshments and a visit from Santa.

"A lot of the families here are needy and the families just don't have the money to buy gifts. I don't know if they realize how much it helps our families and how grateful they are, but it is great to see the children's eyes light up and to see how much they appreciate it," Carmelia said.

New Sprititual Life Center opens Holy Family doubles space for parishoners

2009-12-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 12/10/09

Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of the Archdiocese of Baltimore guided the dedication of the new Spiritual Life Center at Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville on Sunday. The center is a 29,000-square-foot, $7.5 million addition to the church. The year-long construction project doubled the space available to parishioners.

According to building committee member Betty Ryon, the construction phase of the project was the least painful aspect. "The real fight for this was before the construction even began," Ryon said.

The project began back in 1998.

Just seven years prior to that, the church had moved out of the small chapel on Davidsonville Road and into the 29,000-square-foot church. It was 1991 when that "new" space was dedicated by Archbishop William Keeler to serve the parish's 800 families.

The small chapel on Central Avenue was, and is, still used for daily mass, funerals and weddings.

But as the church community in Davidsonville grew, they quickly began to outgrow even their new space, which, unlike the chapel, had a larger fellowship hall for social gatherings, office space and a place for religious education.

In 1998, the pastoral council created a 10-year master plan with an eye on further expansion. From there, it was a matter of raising the capital and getting the county to grant the variances and permits required to meet the needs of the growing flock.

Father Joe Barr has been leading Holy Family for the past 14 years. He watched as the parish expanded in numbers - from 800 families to 1,500 families - but the physical space available to them stayed the same.

"The former nursery was in a storage room with no windows," Barr said.

They wanted the new space to integrate seamlessly with the existing structure, so they rehired Jim Cush of Corkill Cush Reeves Architects, the firm behind the 1991 build.

In December of 2008, after 10 years of securing pledges for the capital campaign and navigating the county permitting process, they finally broke ground on the new space.

They had a few challenges during the construction, but since Cush had designed the original structure, he was aware of some of the problems they might encounter.

"The worst problem was the ground. There's very soft soil here, which gave us some challenges," Cush said.

"But we did it - in one year - on schedule. The construction company was great, hard-working," Cush said.

On Sunday, 11 months and three weeks after the groundbreaking, Archbishop O'Brien led the flock from the nave to the new social hall after Mass, with a stop at the perpetual adoration oratory.

"(This new space is) a great tribute to the dedication of the catholic community, and the larger community," the archbishop said after the dedication.

"As I was standing in the space, I couldn't help but think of the young people and how much they'll benefit from this, not only with the addition of space but also because they can see the sacri-fices it took to get here," he said.

County Executive John R. Leopold and Sen. Ed Reilly were among the dignitaries.

"Places like this allow group gatherings that make the fabric of a community," Reilly said in his remarks to the gathering.

Joan Jenkins, fellowship director, was busy throughout the morning with volunteers, setting out a large spread of food donated by over 50 helpers.

"The former social hall was half the size of the new one," Jenkins said. She noted that the new space will be available for all of their social functions, like the upcoming Pizza with Santa event, spaghetti dinners, the new parishioner welcome dinner, and as an overflow space for Christmas Mass and Easter Mass.

The new space also boasts a new commercial kitchen, complete with a dishwasher, double oven and plenty of storage space.

"We love this new space - we're going to be spoiled over here," said Laura Benso, kitchen manager.

As for the new nursery, Father Barr said that it is now the best real estate in the place. "It is a 15-by-30 room with windows," he said.

Aside from the new fellowship hall, the bigger nursery and the new perpetual adoration oratory, the new addition will also allow religious education classes to be held in individual classrooms. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine used to be held in the old social hall, where curtains defined and separated classroom space.

As for the old space, the old social hall and classrooms will be used for offices, and as a new youth group meeting area. The storage spaces that had been converted will revert back to being storage spaces.

The final construction is technically not yet finished. Father Barr said that the construction company, Hopkins and Wayson, have a few more items on the punchlist.

"Little things like electrical outlets and drywall, that sort of thing," he said. That work should be done by Dec. 30.

Those little things didn't seem to matter to the hundreds of parishioners gathered on Sunday to celebrate.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Scouts attend ship dedication in New York

2009-12-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 12/10/09

Davidsonville Boy Scout Troop 454 traveled to New York City to act as ushers at the dedication of the Navy ship USS New York last month. The ship is one of three San Antonio Class Landing Platform Dock ships built and named in honor of the victims and survivors of the Sept. 11 attacks. The other two, the USS Arlington, named for the county where the Pentagon is located, and the USS Somerset, named for the county in Pennsylvania where the fourth plane crashed into the ground, are under construction by Northrop Grumman in Louisiana.

The USS New York is noteworthy because 7.5 tons of wreckage from the World Trade Center's twin towers were used to construct the hull of the ship.

The dedication was by special invitation only, and included survivors and families of the victims of the 9/11 tragedy.

Troop 454's participation came about through a connection with Boy Scout Troop 40 of Hopewell Junction, N.Y. The boys from that troop had received a flag that they were asked to retire. Boy Scouts across the country are congressionally sanctioned to retire flags. But this flag had special significance because it had flown over the wreckage of the World Trade Center in the months following the attacks.

The boys from New York decided not to retire the flag at all. They wanted to bring it to Washington and give it to the Navy so that it could have a ceremonial place onboard the USS New York.

This was all back in 2006, while the ship was under construction. At that time, the new captain, Commander Curt Jones, had been named, but was awaiting completion of the vessel's construction.

So the Scouts from New York contacted Jay Stefany, the Davidsonville troop leader. Jay invited the boys and their leaders from New York down to overnight at the Davidsonville Family Recreation Center, where the troop meets. That way they'd have a free place to camp while they toured Washington.

When the boys came down, they made fast friends, and both troops traveled to the Navy Yard in Washington,the Pentagon and to Arlington National Cemetery.

Then the New York troop invited 454 to come to New York at the time of the dedication and the flag transfer ceremony to Commander Jones.

That took more three years.

But on Nov. 7, the Davidsonville boys were able to go to New York for the dedication. They got a special behind-the-scenes tour of the ship, got to meet not only the captain, but also other dignitaries like Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and New York Gov. David Paterson.

They also took some time to visit the sites around Manhattan.

"It was really fun. We went down to the ship at Pier 88, we were given programs to hand out and ushering duties for people with tickets. I learned a lot about naval ships and about the Navy," Patrick Owens, 16, said.

Twenty-two boys and 19 adults traveled from Maryland to New York.

Jimmy Hogevoll, 14, is interested in a Navy career. He was excited to go, but didn't realize the impact the trip would have on him until he got there.

"It was a memorable experience, and I really liked getting to see the newest ship, getting to see the tower and the instruments," he said.

The ship left New York for Norfolk, Va., its home port, on Nov. 12.

A much younger troop of Boy Scouts in the area were recently honored to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Scouting by presenting the colors at the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 18. Pack 249 of Edgewater read the official Boy Scouts of America centennial script to open the meeting.

Readers were fourth-grade boys who attend Central and Edgewater Elementary schools: Sam Bachhuber, Zachary Alexander and Kyle Lilley. The flag bearers were: Christopher Crosby, Matthew Beauman and Jared Mundie.

The boys who assisted the flag carriers in the procession were first-grader Blake Wanner, second-grader Amir Conwell and third-grader Max Alexander.

The South County Showstoppers is a group of dancers from the South County Senior Center in Edgewater. They perform at locations around Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore throughout the year, but in November and December, demand for their performances peaks.

Dance director Joanne DeWilde said that usually they gladly take contributions if offered, but they don't charge a fee for their appearances.

"We put it in the bank, and if we need it for something in the show, we invest in that," Joanne said.

But this year they decided to take whatever contributions they received in November and December and hand it over to the South County Assistance Network, a food pantry that serves south county's less fortunate.

The group received $100 from the Crofton Area Retired Persons, which is affiliated with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish, for a November performance, and gave it to SCAN just before Thanksgiving.

They have three remaining shows: at 2 p.m. Dec. 17 at Ginger Cove, 4000 River Crescent Drive; at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21 at Sunrise Senior Living, 41 W. Mckinsey Road in Severna Park; and Dec. 29 at Regency Park Assisted Living on Route 3 in Gambrills.

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Around South County: 'Firehouse Santa' coming to your neighborhoods Sunday

2009-12-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

Tina Preece is a sculptor and a member of the Muddy Creek Artists Guild. On Monday she helped set up a temporary gallery in South River Colony Main Street. The juried art show will be open the next two weekends. All of the art for sale and on display was created by south county artists. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson — For The Capital

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 12/03/09

Each year members of the Woodland Beach Volunteer Fire Department spend an evening in December driving their fire trucks around the neighborhoods they serve, not to put out fires, but to collect wrapped gifts - both toys and clothing - for families in need.

The program, "Firehouse Santa," starts at 5 p.m. Sunday and winds its way through the Edgewater and Mayo communities of Turkey Point, Woodland Beach, South River Colony, Gingerville, Wilelinor, Saunders Point, Loch Haven, Selby, Withernsea, West Shoreham, Southdown Shores, River Oaks and Ponder Cove.

Santa is in full costume and riding on each of the fire trucks, accepting wrapped, tagged gifts from members of the community at each stop. The tag should be secure and indicate the age and gender for the intended recipient. Once the gifts are collected, they are brought back to the fire station, where the firefighters sort them by age or size.

From there, they are given to the Anne Arundel Food Bank. They distribute the gifts to local families in need.

Fire Chief Bobby Howlin said this is the 12th year for the program at Woodland Beach VFD. "At any one time on Sunday we'll have five Santas riding around," he said. They will use a couple of engines from their company, plus people lend antique and retired fire trucks for the drive.

Last year the Firehouse Santa program was able to collect hundreds of gifts through both the neighborhood ride-throughs and the two designated drop-off times at the fire station. This year the drop-off times at the station, 529 Londontown Road, are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.

During their rides, they're also collecting nonperishable food items and gently used coats, hats and gloves. They ask that these items not be wrapped.

For the exact time of Firehouse Santa's visit to your neighborhood, visit www.woodlandbeachvfd. com.

Around the corner, the Muddy Creek Artists Guild is hosting the next in their series of temporary art galleries at South River Colony Main Street, 175 Mitchell's Chance Road in Edgewater.

The "Gifts from the Arts" showcase will be open Wednesday through Sunday for the next two weekends. The guild is a group of over 80 south county artists, all of whom create original works. They work in a variety of mediums, including: paintings, photography, sculpture, metalwork, mixed media, printmaking, woodwork, jewelry, pottery, textiles, cards and more.

This will be a juried show, but most, if not all, of the artwork will be available for sale.

The guild is only eight months old, having launched with about a dozen artists. Their first show, "Artists on the Half Shell," attracted 20 south county artists to Galesville Memorial Hall for a two-day show and sale.

Next, the group moved to the now-vacant Blockbuster space in Deale for their fall "Harvest of Artists" exhibit in September.

Both of the prior events included an artist's reception, and this weekend's show is no exception. There will be an opportunity to meet the artists from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday . They'll also host a Holiday Art Party from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 12 with refreshments and live music.

Guild president Bea Poulin started the group with the idea of having a small group of artists present a couple of shows a year. "It has really exceeded my expectations," Bea said.

The group has stopped accepting new members for now and will begin the new year with a retreat so that they can map our a long-term strategy for keeping their group viable.

"The enthusiasm for each other's work is great. As an artist, you work alone, but in this group the artists learn a lot from each other," Bea said.

The show will feature art that is large and small, and this show will have a special corner for holiday items, affordable jewelry, photography, hand stamped cards and Christmas decor.

Also this month, and through mid-January, some of the Muddy Creek artists will be featured at an "Out of Bounds" reception at West Annapolis Art Works, 4 Annapolis St. in Annapolis. The show will include painting, pastels, printmaking and photography. For more information about the guild,visit www.muddycreekartistsguild.org.

Galesville group renovating historic Rosenwald School

2009-12-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For the Capital

Published 11/26/09

In the late 1800s, the then-president of Sears, Roebuck and Co. decided to use his vast wealth to help the less fortunate. Much of his philanthropy affected hundreds of thousands of African-American children throughout the South, including those right here in south county.

Julius Rosenwald was a self-made man whose ideas, intellect and drive led him to become president of the Sears department store chain.

Along his path to success he met important businessmen, educators and activists, including Paul Sachs, Rabbi Emil Hirsch and Booker T. Washington.

Rosenwald was so taken by Washington's book, "Up From Slavery," that he eventually invested several million dollars of his personal wealth in a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of African Americans in the rural South through education.

The Julius Rosenwald Fund was established in 1917, and by the end of the program in 1932, was responsible for the construction of nearly 5,000 schools, which educated 650,000 African-American children in 15 states.

In Anne Arundel County, the fund built 23 Rosenwald Schools. The schools all used the same architectural plan developed by architects at Washington's Tuskegee Institute.

The buildings had wide windows facing east and west to minimize the need for electric lighting, open space for instructional needs as well as progressive aesthetics, which were created to foster positive, orderly, healthy environments for the students.

The south county schools included Churchton, Friend-ship, Galesville, Lothian One, Lothian Two, Mayo and Shady Side. The Shady Side school was renovated and is now the Lula G. Scott Community Center.

The Galesville Rosenwald School, which later became the segregated Galesville Elementary School, is about to be renovated due to the efforts of some dedicated former students.

Leading the charge is Gertrude Makell, who was a student at the Galesville school from first through fourth grade. When the school closed in 1958, she was transferred to the Ralph Bunch School, and then later to Lothian Elementary. She then attended an integrated high school, Southern High School in Lothian.

After the Galesville school was closed in 1958, local community members got together and purchased the two-acre site and building for $1,000 from the county. For years it was used as a community center, but in the 1970s, the facility fell into disrepair.

In 2003, a group of former students and their family and friends, including Makell, got together with the intent of preserving the structure, its history and heritage. They formed the Galesville Community Center Organization.

Among the committee members, several had attended the Galesville Rosenwald School, including Makell, Betty Turner, Pauline Watkins-Proctor, Daniel Easton, Rever Sellman, Dorothea McCullers and Isabella Washington. Other committee members did not attend the school but have been instrumental in helping to get the project off the ground. Those include the Rev. R. Aquilla Fordham, Shirley Perry, James Proctor, Gloristine Neal-Nick and the Rev. Dorothy Fordham.

"We've been working on it for about six years," Makell said. They had to apply for nonprofit status, plus get funding to stabilize and rehabilitate the structure.

They've received grants from the state, county and local community development resources.

The renovation will cost about $400,000. They hired local architect Michael Dowling, who worked on the renovation of the Marley Neck Rosenwald School, which is also being used as a community center.

"One of my areas of practice is historic restoration and preservation," Michael said. "Galesville has a lot that was intact. In (Marley Neck), there was ghosting where original parts were, but in Galesville a lot of the original detail - the wainscoting and the windows, are intact. We are very lucky to find those kinds of little details to match," he said.

They also have private funding set aside so that when the building is completed, they will be able to start using it right away.

The group has been working with local churches and community organizations, like the Galesville Heritage Society, to provide services for children while the building is undergoing its renovation.

"We worked with the Alex Haley Foundation, doing a couple of camps for the kids," Makell said. "The kids started working on a book that we hope to publish, about black history in Galesville," she said.

The project is scheduled to be completed in April of 2010, when they'll have a big ribbon cutting ceremony.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Local hunters donate deer to help feed the hungry

2009-12-21T16:20:00.000-08:00

Dave McMullen accepts a check from Frank Gouin for the Anne Arundel County chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson for the Capital.

By Mitchelle Stephenson
For the Capital
Published 11/26/09

First, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for continuing to read Around South County and The Capital newspaper.

Each week, the Anne Arundel Food Bank stocks and collects food for distribution to dozens of locations throughout the county. For the most part, the items are non-perishable foods like canned or boxed goods - things that have a stable shelf life and won't spoil.

A local group has made it possible for the group to also give out fresh meat. Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), whose Anne Arundel chapter is based in Edgewater, contributed over 6,000 pounds of ground, fresh, frozen venison to the food bank last year, and the group is on track to do it again this year.

From there, the food bank redistributes the meat to its local pantries.

FHFH works by raising funds for the processing of the deer meat at four local butchers. When local hunters have more deer than they can consume themselves, they bring their tagged and DNR-registered deer to an approved butcher. When the butcher has accumulated several hundred pounds, they put in a call to the Anne Arundel Food Bank to come pick up the meat in a refrigerated truck.

"It is a lean meat, and a good source of protein," said Bruce Michaelec, the executive director of the Anne Arundel Food Bank. "When church pantries come in here for food, it allows us to have a variety of things," he said.

Not all of the pantries the food bank services are open to the idea of venison. "Deer meat isn't one of the things that is requested in all places, but it is requested in some areas of the county - including south county," Bruce said.

"Since we've been a chapter, we've never been able to meet the donation needs with the processing," Dave McMullen said. Dave is the president of the local FHFH chapter. "Even though our butchers give us a 20 percent discount on the pricing," he said.

The group has hunters who are looking to donate, but sometimes the group can't afford to pay the butcher for the processing. So either the deer are discarded or the hunters pay for the processing themselves and then keep the meat.

As a result of the shortfall, Dave has had to go out into the community - to hunting clubs, community groups and churches to talk about the FHFH program and find ways to raise enough money to have all of the donated deer processed.

Recently, the Lothian Ruritan Club donated $750 to FHFH.

Their donation came about because about two years ago, Dave gave a talk to their club about his organization. Even though Dave said he isn't particularly comfortable in his role as public spokesman, his message obviously got through because the Ruritans decided then to give $1,000.

This year all of the proceeds from their Hymn Sing event at Mount Zion United Methodist Church went to FHFH.

"We had about 75 people in attendance at the Hymn Sing. The event was free, but we passed the collection basket," said Frank Gouin, who's active in the Lothian Ruritans.

At roughly $1 per pound, the money from the Ruritans should help to process roughly 750 pounds of deer meat.

"Everyone agrees that there is an overpopulation of deer in Anne Arundel County, and Anne Arundel is one of the only counties that permits unlimited harvest of does in the open bow season (September to January),"Dave said.

Last year FHFH was able to process 214 deer, which equaled about 10,000 pounds of meat. That number has grown each year.

In 2007, they processed 80 deer; by 2008, they processed 125 deer.

Aside from the Anne Arundel Food Bank, the group also gave independently to Sara's House, Grace Church, Waysons Corner Faith Community Church and the South County Assistance Network, to name a few.

There are eight chapters of FHFH in Maryland. Aside from the Anne Arundel chapter, there are also groups in Calvert and St. Mary's counties.

Whenever anyone purchases a Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hunting license at any sporting goods store - including Marty's on Mayo Road, Kmart in South River Colony in Edgewater, and Bay Pro in Dunkirk, a $1 contribution is made to the state FHFH organization.

In addition, anyone who would like to enhance that contribution can do so at the time of filing their license at these locations.

"There is no minimum amount to contribute. Simply say, 'I want to donate to the venison feeding the hungry program,' and the clerk should be able to accommodate," Dave said.

To give directly to the Anne Arundel chapter, contact Dave McMullen, FHFH, 3612 Tenth Ave., Edgewater, MD 21037.

The group is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your contribution could have tax benefits.

"All the money we get goes directly to the program," Dave said.

Also thankful this year is Shelby Lawson, a senior at South River High School, who has been steadily working each year to help her school win a competition against other schools to have the most food collected for the annual "Harvest for the Hungry" food drive.

When Shelby was in ninth grade, she attended her first Harvest for the Hungry assembly at South River.

"After that, I wanted to go around my neighborhood and help people," Shelby said.

That first year she went out with her mom and visited many of the houses in Beverly Beach and Cloverlea, collecting enough to fill the front passenger seat and the well under the seat with cans of food.

"We just went around and knocked on doors. We got a couple from each house," Shelby said.

Each year she did the same thing, usually around Halloween. Her sophomore year she got a wagon and took that around.

By her junior year, she'd enlisted the help of one of her friends, Nadine Bucca. "We tag teamed and were able to cover a lot more area," Shelby said.

This year, Nadine and Shelby went out with the help of Steven and Samuel Kremer, and together they were able to collect 156 pounds of food in a single Halloween evening.

"We basically went from 6 to 9 p.m., and visited the houses with their lights on for trick-or-treaters," Shelby said.

Whether South River High School wins the competition or not, Shelby has certainly won an appreciation for helping those in need.

"It is better than collecting candy on Halloween, and it is a good cause. A lot of people need food, and this is an easy way to do it," Shelby said.

Around South County: Galesville runner trains here, competes in the Sahara Desert

2009-11-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

Ken Shuart during his recent 250-kilometer (154-mile) Sahara Desert marathon. The gaiters that Ken wore around his shins and feet kept the sand and grit out. The seven-day race took place during the last week in October. (Courtesy photo)

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 11/19/09

Galesville resident Ken Shuart is what you might call an adventurous guy.

At 49 years old, he has completed the Marine Corps marathon, raced in a couple of triathalons, climbed Mount Kilamanjaro in Tanzania in 2007, and in 2008 completed the Race Across America, where he rode his bicycle from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis in less than eight days.

So last year, when the Washington Post Magazine ran an article about a man in Northern Virginia - Frank Fumich - who was training for a 250-kilometer (154-mile) race across the Sahara Desert in Egypt, Ken's wife was quick to throw the magazine out, lest he get any ideas.

But by the following Wednesday, Ken's neighbor, Don Buchanan, had brought a copy of the Sunday magazine over to show Ken.

"He thought it was a great story, and so I decided to do it," Ken said.

Last month, Ken not only competed in, but also completed the Sahara Desert marathon, which is part of a four-part "Racing the Planet" series of desert marathons around the world. Ken has yet to sign up for the other three, which are held in Chile, China and Antarctica.

After Don brought the magazine over last year, Ken made contact with Frank to talk about the race, and then hired a trainer. In January of this year, Ken began his training, running for five or six hours at a time with a backpack full of gear.

Yes, the Sahara marathon includes the requirement to carry all gear - except tents and water.

Ken trained by running up and down Muddy Creek Road, and then running an Annapolis marathon course mapped out by the Annapolis Striders.

In addition, he would go to his brother's place in Fenwick Island, Del., so that he could practice running on the sand at the beach.

During the Sahara race, Ken said that he spent about half his time running and half his time walking. "It would get so that the sand was so soft that it was difficult to run."

"My goal was to finish. I knew if I spent my energy running in soft sand, that I would put my body in jeopardy for the next day," Ken said.

The seven-day race is divided into six stages, ranging from 10 to over 50 miles. Each stage of the race is completed in a day. The 54-mile stage was the longest.

The weather also played a factor - "it was 110 degrees and one day it reached 120 degrees," Ken said.

Each day, the race would start at 8 a.m. Some of the runners completed the course by noon, but Ken would finish around 2 p.m., which was the hottest part of the day. On the day of the 54-mile leg, Ken took 18 hours to finish.

Although Ken carried his own gear, the race organizers would provide hot water, oatmeal and instant coffee each morning. Once the racers left camp, the organizers would load everything into trucks to go to the next site for setup.

Water stops were manned every 10 kilometers (six miles). "There would generally be about three water stops in a day," Ken said.

One of the best things that Ken purchased before the trip were gaiters for his feet, shins and ankles.

"You have to keep the sand and grit out of your shoes. … People that didn't have what I had, had to stop and empty the sand out of their shoes," Ken said. Photos of his feet posted to his photoblog show that his feet were still pretty beat-up from the experience.

"Each day you get back to the tent and say, 'I'm exhausted, my feet are killing me, what am I doing out here?' but you get something to eat, you get a good night's sleep, and you do it again," Ken said.

"About a week later I said, 'I really had a lot of fun,' " Ken added. "You wouldn't have heard me say that when I was over there, but now that is how I feel," he said.

Ken's initial inspiration for the race Frank Fumich and a group of other runners who competed in the Sahara race, are doing another one in Australia.

"Some of my tent mates have offered to put me up in April, but I'm not currently training for it. But maybe if there was another one next fall," he said.

"It's still too early now," Ken said.

The South River High School Craft Fair is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the school, 201 Central Avenue East in Edgewater. Admission is free. For more information, call 410-721-5446.

Send your news to AroundSoCo@verizon.net.

Lothian lensman lands photo assignment with network show

2009-11-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Michael Busada Michael Busada of Lothian took photos for the ABC television show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” during its time rebuilding the Tripp residence in Hyattsville and The Fishing School in Washington, D.C. Here, show host Ty Pennington and his crew are at the building site. Hundreds of volunteers came from around the Metropolitan area, including Busada, who donated his services.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published in The Capital 11/19/09

Lothian resident Michael Busada has a good eye. For 16 years, he had a good eye for numbers - working as an accountant for a car dealership. But two years ago, he decided to make a go of being a full-time photographer. Turns out that Busada has a good eye for photography, too.

Prior to the career change, Busada had been working for a couple of years as a hobby photographer. By 2007, he was doing mostly glamour photography - "model portfolios, boudoir, that sort of thing," Busada said.

So he rented a commercial space to use as a studio, hung up his pocket protector and began the life of a struggling artist.

But his strong background in finance gave him an advantage over other artists who strike out on their own.

"Understanding the money side of things is a huge advantage," he said.

This past summer, Busada was selected to provide art for a remodeling project in Washington, D.C., for the ABC TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Not bad for a guy who wasn't sure his mid-life career change would work out.

For Busada's work on "Extreme Makeover," he documented the demolition and rebuilding of the Tripp family home in Hyattsville. He also provided large 36-inch by 36-inch mounted black and white photographs of the children at The Fishing School in Washington, D.C. - a supplementary project of the "Extreme Makeover" team, during their time in the D.C. area.

The Fishing School was demolished on Aug. 23, and rebuilt over the course of the next five days.

Busada had only four days' access to the children at the facility. The Fishing School is an after-school program run by Tom Lewis, a retired D.C. police officer who opened the facility so that kids would have a safe place to go after school, and a place to get guidance and help with schoolwork.

Busada shot for four days and then rushed the digital photos to Miller Print Studio in Kansas to have the large images printed and mounted. Busada donated his time and the printing fee of $600. But Miller donated the rush fee so that the images could be hanging on the walls at the big reveal on Aug. 29.

Outside of this project, Busada keeps busy with weddings and commercial assignments. He was hired to help document President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration, hiring and supervising a staff to photograph the incoming president on the steps of the Capitol as well as at the luncheons and official balls.

The Maryland Professional Photographers Association named him the Portrait Photographer of the Year - twice.

Busada said that the reason he did the project for "Extreme Makeover," and the reason he loves to do portraiture and weddings is quite simple: "I love helping people whenever I can, and I love documenting human emotion.''

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Veterans and soldiers honored in south county

2009-11-25T14:52:00.001-08:00

Mitchelle Stephenson - For the Capital Bob Hartge, left, and Bob McLaren both served in the Merchant Marines. Both are from Galesville and came to the Galesville Heritage Society’s Veteran’s Day event to honor fellow veterans.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 11/12/09

The American Legion Post 226 on Mayo Road in Edgewater hosted nearly two dozen veterans on Sunday for a quiet afternoon of football, free barbecue and drinks at the third annual "Football with Friends" Veterans Day event.

Three years ago, Nora Sturba, past president of the Ladies Auxiliary, decided it would be a nice gesture to invite a group of World War II veterans residing at the Charlotte Hall Veteran's Home in St. Mary's County up for an afternoon of football.

The Ladies Auxiliary had raised funds to pay for food and sodas and the veteran's home provided the transportation.

She did the same thing in 2008.

But this year, Sturba decided to expand the get together to include wounded soldiers (and their families) from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The 1 p.m. start time coincided with the kickoff for both the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Redskins games on Sunday.

At noon, the Charlotte Hall veterans arrived, and a little while later, the Walter Reed soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan arrived on their bus with a police escort.

Sturba arranged for the bus to be met at the Davidsonville Park and Ride and escorted to the post. Joining the police escort in greeting the bus were 52 American Legion riders - motorcycle enthusiasts who are also veterans and members of the post. The escort brought the bus the final 9 miles.

Upon arrival, the World War II veterans from Charlotte Hall were sitting outside the front door of the post saluting the soldiers.

"We didn't want to put them on display, so we didn't advertise the event beforehand. We wanted this to be a low-key day for them to come down and watch a football game and get something to eat," Sturba said.

The post provided everything.

"They didn't spend a dime, and when they tried to tip, our volunteer bartenders pushed the money back," said Marcia Moreland, bar manager.

The visiting soldiers were all injured, but most were ambulatory, some also suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sturba said. The soldiers were grateful for the chance to take a break from the hospital setting for a low-key afternoon of fun with their families. "We didn't really discuss their wounds, or future deployments or any of that, but if they wanted to talk, we listened," Sturba said.

The Charlotte Hall veterans departed after lunch while the soldiers stayed on until about 8 p.m., with many vowing to return for future parties.

Sturba had a cast of about a dozen volunteers to help make the day a success.

Mary Richardson was one. "This was the best time I've ever had here," she said.

Galesville event

About 100 people gathered to recognize Veterans Day yesterday at the Galesville Memorial Hall on Main Street, sponsored by the Galesville Heritage Society. Jack Smith served as master of ceremonies and several members of the General Assembly attended. Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch, D-Annapolis, State Sen. John Astle, D-Annapolis, and Del. Ron George, R-Arnold each gave remarks thanking the assembled veterans for their service.

Astle talked about his service during Vietnam, and how even though he was filled with pride upon returning stateside, he wasn't given a hero's welcome. But, "of all the things I've done in my life, I am most proud of my service in the Marines," he said.

Vocalist Heidi Kammer led the audience in "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America."

"Sing loud enough so our heroes up in heaven can hear you," she said. The late Roberta Cassard, a longtime community leader, was honored with a moment of silence followed by recognition for creating many of the displays that surrounded the perimeter of the room. She was also instrumental in collecting the names and history of those Galesville residents that had served in the armed forces.

At the end of the service, Smith read off the numbers of those from the tiny hamlet that had served. In total, 170 servicemen and women have served in combat from Galesville, with an additional 15 serving in between conflicts.

The annual Veterans Day event originated about 15 years ago.

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Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: West River’s Twin Beeches alpaca farm hosts open house

2009-11-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 11/12/09

The Twin Beeches alpaca farm in West River hosted an open house on Sunday, showcasing their small herd of alpacas as well as products made from the fleece.

Doug Nowell and his wife Teece started alpaca farming a few years back when they bought five of the animals from Ameripaca Farm in Galesville. They kept their day jobs, and focused on both a breeding and shearing program.

Alpacas are part of the camelid family, which includes bactrian and dromedary camels from Asia and Africa, as well as llamas, vicuñas and guanacos. There are no wild alpacas. They were originally domesticated in South America thousands of years ago in the countries currently known as Bolivia, Peru and Chile.

Alpacas were first brought to the United States in 1984, and since that time, the focus has been on enhancing the herd stock by breeding each generation for a better grade of fleece.

“We raise them for the females, with the goal of creating better fiber by improving them with each generation,” Doug said.

There are a variety of things to look for in alpaca fleece, including the brightness, the fineness, the feel — or “handle’’ — and the crimp structure. The Nowells also take their animals to shows to have them evaluated. The male alpaca they are currently using as a sire is a four-time champion.

Doug said that they spend about an hour and a half each day caring for the animals. That can be more on the weekends when they go to shows, which are sometimes as far away as Ohio and Kentucky.

The females give birth once a year, after an 11 1/2-month gestation. They are then bred again, giving birth to one live “cria” or baby a year.

There are over a dozen different colors of alpacas, with white being the most popular.

The animals are sheared in May and the fleece is sent to Kentucky for cleaning and processing. It can be made into either yarn or felt. The fiber is prized because it is easy to blend and is as soft as cashmere or merino wool.

At the open house, the Nowells had a variety of items on display and for sale, including purses, stuffed animals, wraps, capes, sweaters, throw rugs, socks and yarn. In many ways the fiber is superior to sheep’s wool in that it won’t pill or stretch, and it is hypoallergenic because the fleece doesn’t contain lanolin.

The Nowell family has had their southern Anne Arundel property for 25 years. They own 10 acres, and use just one acre for their herd of 19 females and two male alpacas.

Carrie Diamond brought her two daughters, Katie, 2, and Sarah, 5, to the open house. They had never been to an alpaca farm and came down from Carroll County as something to do for the day. After looking around at the farm, Teece took each girl inside the pen to pet the animals and get their pictures taken. After that, each girl got to take home a teddy bear made of alpaca fleece.

All afternoon, the Nowells continued to tell newcomers about the wonderful world of alpacas and alpaca farming. Oh, and yes, like camels, alpacas do spit.

The West/Rhode Riverkeeper recently organized a community stream cleanup behind the High’s convenience store and gas station on the corner of Muddy Creek Road and Owensville Road.

On Saturday about 25 volunteers, including Webelo Scouts from Cub Scout Pack 853, Den 4, volunteered for the two-hour event. The site was selected for cleanup because the hill behind the gas station is adjacent to a stream that feeds Lerch Creek, which in turn flows into the West River.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works provided two Dumpsters and waved the collection fees at Sudley Landfill so that the items collected could be properly disposed of. Aside from the usual array of trash, the volunteers collected 75 tires, various car parts, appliances and paint cans. Both Dumpsters were filled.

For more information about the works of the West/Rhode Riverkeeper, visit www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org.

The South River High School’s Powerhawks Robotics Team will be the hosts for FIRST Robotics’ Lego League Regional Qualifier on Dec. 12 at the school in Edgewater.

In this competition, 20 elementary and middle school teams from the area will be tasked with using Lego Mindstorm building components to construct a robot that solves a predetermined problem.

The students will need to work together as a team using math, science, engineering and technology. The Powerhawks have been mentoring the local teams for eight weeks leading up to the competition, and will be on site to help the students gain skills and confidence.

The Powerhawks team needs assistance from the community and local businesses. They are seeking sponsors, at all levels, as well as volunteers for the event. Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, developed FIRST (for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics as a way to challenge students who excel in science, math and technology. For information on the South River event, call Jeanne Bellis at 410-263-0530.

Kincey Potter lauded for work in restoring the South River

2009-11-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

Kincey Potter won the Unsung Hero award for her work on behalf of the South River through her organization, the South River Federation, based in Edgewater.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 11/05/09

Kincey Potter has been in front of and behind the scenes at the South River Federation since 2003. Last week she was awarded the Unsung Hero award from the Maryland Association of Fundraising Professionals at a reception in Baltimore.

Potter was nominated for the award by Keith Campbell, who is president of the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment.

Last November, Campbell was recognized as Maryland Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year for his work on behalf of preserving the Chesapeake Bay. As a recipient of the award, Campbell had an opportunity to nominate someone whom he felt should be recognized as an unsung hero.

Potter was not the founder of the South River Federation, a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect, restore and celebrate Maryland's South River watershed. However, she is credited with taking the organization from a small volunteer group to a staffed nonprofit with a full-time riverkeeper.

When Potter started with the organization in 2003, she'd just retired from American Management Systems, where she was a vice president managing large software systems.

She said that she wanted to get involved "in something to do with the waterways and saving the Bay."

Potter began as a volunteer, then got into fundraising, and is now the president of the South River Federation, based in Edgewater.

"I was working with a lot of different companies (prior to retirement), figuring out what kinds of software and systems would make businesses stronger. Working with volunteer organizations is very similar in that you have to get people moving in the right direction," Potter said.

Although the South River Federation had existed off and on prior to 1999, that was the year the group was reconstituted and began its current path of advocacy and river monitoring work.

The history of championing the health of rivers isn't particularly old. One of the first organizations to advocate on behalf of healthy waterways was on the Hudson River.

In 1966, a group of fishermen worked together to halt construction of a Consolidated Edison power plant upriver from West Point, N.Y. Although the court case took years to resolve, one of the group's lasting efforts was that they had a riverkeeper, first a volunteer and by 1983, a full-time paid employee, to monitor the health of the river.

By 1999, the idea of having riverkeepers monitor the health of a river had caught on, and the Waterkeeper's Alliance was born. That group is an association of over 200 riverkeepers across America. There are currently three in Anne Arundel County alone: South Riverkeeper, West/Rhode Riverkeeper and Severn Riverkeeper.

The effort of ensuring that the South River watershed employs a full-time riverkeeper as well as a staff of professionals, including a program coordinator and an executive director is a product of Potter's efforts to build the South River Federation.

Each year the organization tracks the health of the river through programs that involve not only the efforts of the riverkeeper, but also scores of volunteers. They participate in events like the watershed snapshot, where water quality, bacteria andother data are monitored at the same time in dozens of locations in both the tidal and non-tidal areas of the South River.

In addition, the South River Federation supports communities in the creation of living shorelines, rain gardens, wetlands restoration and oyster gardening.

"I was very surprised and very honored, and especially pleased to have been nominated by Keith Campbell, because he has done so much to clean up our waters and the bay," Potter said after winning the award.

Other local winners included Capt. Anthony P. Barnes, nominated by Anne Arundel County Public Schools for his work in creating a mentoring program employing Naval Academy students, and Carol Milli, nominated by Partners in Care for her outstanding service to seniors in the county.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Big literacy push at area schools

2009-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Sherri Arnold reads with her son, Matthew, 7, at the “Reading Night” event at Davidsonville Elementary. Schools in south county are coming up with creative ways to interest students in developing a lifelong love of reading.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 11/05/09

Edgewater Elementary School hosted a vocabulary parade at the school on Friday. Each of the 400 students had to independently find an unfamiliar word and then dress in costume to illustrate the meaning. This was the second year that the school held the word parade.

Megan King, fourth-grade teacher at the school who serves on the school's literacy committee, heard about other schools doing a vocabulary parade and thought that it would be a good alternative to the traditional Halloween parade. She presented the idea to Principal Barry Fader, and he embraced it.

Third-grade teacher Julie Hesenperger, who also serves on the literacy committee, said that she liked the idea because it allowed children to dress up and be creative in their costumes, but gave students an opportunity for independent learning.

According to Julie, the county rule limiting parties to two per year made the group want to find a way for the kids to do something fun but with a purpose.

So about three weeks ago, children were instructed to find an unfamiliar word on their own. Julie said that for her students, it fit nicely since the Ruritan Club had recently delivered dictionaries to each and every student as part of their Dictionary Project.

"One of my students came up with the word, 'ornithologist,' " Julie said. "Michael Grisby was the student. He had an interesting costume - he used foam core and put moss and grass around it and then put fake birds on. He wore a hard hat and binoculars," Julie said, describing how the student worked to illustrate being a bird scientist.

Not only did the students participate in the parade, but teachers and administrators also dressed up. Principal Fader dressed up as a as a ketchup bottle. Julie dressed as the word "abundance," by using pictures of hot dog buns and a dancer, phonetically sounding out, "a- bun-dance."

Upon returning to the classroom, each student told their classmates the definition of the word, and any synonyms or antonyms that they could find.

At Davidsonville Elementary School on Monday children in kindergarten through third grade were invited to attend a free reading night hosted entirely by school staff.

The event was funded by a grant from Target stores, which the school won after second-grade teacher Megan Kinner wrote a proposal last May. The grant was for $2,000.

Megan said that one of the biggest issues for students is encouraging them to read every night throughout the school year.

"We want to bring a love of reading, and reading aloud, and we wanted to find a way to encourage that," Megan said.

While Megan had to think through and map out the Reading Night plan for the purpose of the proposal, winning the grant meant that she needed to put those words into action. When she found out in August that she had won the grant, she began to put the evening's activities together.

Working with her colleagues Lori Balzano and Stacy Taylor, both second-grade teachers, they got books and crafts and made arrangements for special guest readers.

At the Monday event, they had over 100 children and their parents show up. The event centered around a baseball theme to coincide with the World Series. They had three stations: first base, second base and third base as well as a beginning and ending assembly where everyone gathered together. Students rotated among the stations.

At first base, parents were given tips for reading to their children, like finding a comfortable space with easy access to books, pointing to words as you read aloud to your child, alternating reading pages of the book and engaging in a dialogue with your child about the story. Then parents and children scattered around the gymnasium to read to each other.

At second base, Principal Jean Marie Hofstadter read a story to students.

At third base, students had refreshments and got a craft.

Every 20 minutes the organizers told the students to rotate to the next station. Amy Swank came with her two children, Colton, 5 and Tory, 7.

"If you develop a love of reading, there's nothing you can't do," she said as she worked on the craft with her two kids.

Send your south county news to AroundSoCo@verizon.net.

Around South County: Moose Lodge turkey shoots on Sundays through Dec. 13

2009-11-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Shooters try to win a turkey during the South County Moose Lodge’s annual Turkey Shoot.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 10/29/09

The South County/Deale Moose Lodge is holding its annual two-month long turkey shoots, each Sunday starting at noon.

The weekly shoots are three dozen rounds, with every round delivering a specific prize, including turkey, steak, ham, shrimp, or cold, hard cash in the form of 50-50 or "take all" rounds. The price for each round varies; the cheapest is the $2 round for the turkey. The priciest is $5.75 for the steak or shrimp rounds.

The participants pay the fee for the round, get their shotgun shells from a volunteer, then line up with their own 12-guage shotguns with a dozen or so others - men, women and teens - to shoot at a target that is half a football field away. The target is a small piece of paper with a round bulls eye marked on it. The shot scatters all over the target, and when everyone has taken their turn, volunteers run out to remove the targets, and put up new ones for the next round.

The judges examine the targets to see who has the shot most focused in the center.

For people who participate, it is a chance to win a turkey for $2, and get a little target practice. For the Moose, it is a way to raise funds for their Shady Side post. However, a good bit of the money is given away to support activities in the community and local, disadvantaged families.

This year, they'll be providing dinners for six to eight area families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They'll also be providing those families with gifts for the children.

Of the expected $10,000 they hope to raise, they'll spend upward of $4,000 to help local families.

"We go to Shady Side Elementary and Lula G. Scott to help us determine needy families," said Roland Hough, the post governor.

"The dinner is turkey, canned goods - basically everything you'd need for a complete Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner," Roland said.

The food is delivered frozen, canned and fresh so that the families can prepare the food to their liking.

The turkey shoots attract several dozen people each weekend. They're averaging about 650 targets per weekend, or roughly 18 shooters lining up for each round.

Charlie Carper won round 27 on Sunday. He took $35 for a $3.50 stake in the 50-50 round.

"I come out for the sport of it. It's always a lot of fun," Charlie said as he stashed his winnings into his pant's pocket.

"It is a surprisingly affordable way to have a family outing," Roland said, adding that it may "seem like an oxymoron to have guns and trucks and beerand call it a family outing." But, he said that people like to bring their kids to teach them about guns and gun safety.

On Sunday a few dads were there with their sons, patiently showing them how to position the weapon and aim for the target.

The turkey shoots run for two months - the final outing will be the second Sunday in December this year. It is held outdoors in the empty field and parking area adjacent to Park's Liquor on Bay Front Road in Deale.

For more information, call the South County Deale Moose Lodge at 410-867-4875.

The Southern High School Girl's volleyball team recently held a breast cancer awareness program for students and faculty at the Harwood school.

Earlier this school year, Southern coach Meghan Davis got a call from Lauren Boyd, volleyball coach at Severna Park High School. Lauren wanted to enlist as many other schools as possible to do an event to raise money and awareness for breast cancer, since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Meghan presented the idea to her girls - several with mothers, grandmothers or friends who are breast cancer survivors.

"Everyone wanted to do it," Meghan said.

The actual date of the countywide event that Lauren proposed, Oct. 20, was not a date when Southern had a home game, so they took their contributions to the game at Meade High School on Tuesday. Meade was also a participant.

But they did a lot of their own work to research breast cancer awareness for themselves and their friends, and dedicated their next home game to the women they knew who were survivors.

In the month of October, at each practice, they would show up a half hour early to hear a talk about breast cancer.

On one outing, school nurse Sue Comly came to talk about the importance of self-exams. She brought a replica with a lump that the girls could manipulate to feel with their own hands what a mass might feel like.

"I learned how to do self examinations, and I also learned that getting the word out can help people survive," said Shellie Aylor, a varsity player and team co-captain.

Other speakers, Michelle Molloy and Joyce Price, are both survivors who live in the community. The women talked about how the diagnosis changed their lives, and gave the teens an opportunity to ask questions.

Last Thursday, the girls made the theme of their home game "dig pink." They decorated the gym with pink streamers and posters. One of the team dads, Brian Wiseman, donated money so that the girls could purchase pink socks, and they bought pink shirts that read, "Peace, Love, Volleyball."

Their game program was printed on pink paper and listed the names of breast cancer survivors who are family and friends of the players.

JV player Ashley Marshall's mother, Amy Marshall, and maternal grandmother, Evelyn Helevy, both survived the disease.

"I thought that I knew a lot about breast cancer," Ashley said. "But I actually learned a lot. I already do cancer walks and raise money for Susan G. Komen and all of that, but there was so much I didn't know, about doing self exams and when to get a mammogram," she said.

E-mail your news to aroundsoco@verizon.net.

South county hauntings continue through Saturday

2009-11-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sean Peterson and Kate Handler scare up some fun on Heidi’s Haunted Hill in Edgewater. With an improvement in the forecast, south county should be host to both the haunted hill and the Deale fire station’s Morgue Manor — for those possessed of visiting.

By MITCHELLE STEPENSON For The Capital

Published 10/29/09

The weather this fall hasn't been kind to the folks who run the haunted venues in south county. Weather has forced both Heidi's Haunted Hill in Edgewater, and the Deale Fire Department's Morgue Manor haunted house to be closed all but two nights.

But the organizers of both are hoping for a drier forecast since their scary sites will be open tonight through Saturday.

At Heidi's Haunted Hill, off of Solomons Island Road near Birdsville, organizers Holly Jensen and Greta Morris worked for months creating a scary trail for kids ages 12 and up.

"We both have high school and middle school students. So Holly and I thought it would be a fun way for the family to be involved together with the kids," Morris said.

It is a family affair. Morris and Jensen are sisters, and the two women roped in not only their husbands, but kids, boyfriends and their kids' friends.

They got the idea after touring haunted houses and haunted trails in the area over the years.

"We knew what we liked, and we thought we could do something good," Morris said.

Around Labor Day they started putting the pieces together. They installed fencing in the steep areas and added mulch to make the trail less slippery.

Then they really got to work making the attraction scary. The women stumbled across a truckload of decorations from a Howard County archery group that had previously run a haunted trail. Then parents and kids worked together to build simple wooden structures and mazes. They hung up gruesome mannequins, severed plastic body parts, plus stuffed rats, fake spiders and rubber snakes.

Next, they hired a handful of their children's high school and college classmates to provide the chilling drama. The 30 or so teens dress up each night as apes that swing across the trail, as clowns who jump out at people and, of course, as zombies, ghosts and ghouls. They operate chainsaws, they moan, they pound on things.

Each visitor is asked to pay $14 or $12 if they bring a nonperishable item to donate to the food bank. Each night a bonfire is set, so that patrons can warm up, roast marshmallows or make s'mores.

A tour guide leads groups, usually of no more than six at a time, into the forest with a lantern.

The haunted walk gets its name for Heidi Jensen, Holly's 14-year-old daughter, but both Jensen and Morris' children participate.

Walking the trail takes about 20 minutes, and is steep in some places. But the hilly terrain probably isn't what will get your heart going the most - that will be left to the phantoms along the way.

A little farther south, in Deale, the volunteers at the Deale Fire Station are running Morgue Manor, a haunted house that has been a south county tradition since the 1980s.

Paul Loiacono and Shannon Rohr, two volunteer firefighters at the station, are co-chairing the event this year.

Loiacono has been a firefighter for eight years, and he's been involved with the haunted house the entire time.

He said that a few of the hauntings are the return engagements, like an "appearance" by Freddy Krueger. But other things have changed. Last year visitors started their journey through the house on the outside steps, entering through the second floor and then making their way downstairs.

This year, visitors will start in a foyer, where there is seemingly no exit. Family portraits hang from the wall, but guests will have the feeling that they are being watched. Truth is, they are.

From there, guests go through the kitchen, a gruesome scene that is a hallmark of the yearly haunted house is played out for all to shriek, rather, to see.

Ghosts, ghouls, sickly doctors and nurses, a Jack in the Box, a demented chef, and others characters are brought to "life" by the volunteer firefighters.

One of the unique things about the Deale haunted house is that it is not a commercial haunted house set in a portable building in a parking lot. It takes place in a real house, a 100-year old south county farmhouse that for years was someone's home. The last resident died in 1986.

The journey for visitors begins by parking at the Deale fire station on Drum Point Road. The volunteers at the station sell refreshments and the $12 tickets for the haunted adventure. Guests then board a bus for the ride to the house. After a short walk down a driveway, the boarded up house awaits.

There are no refunds if you are too scared to go in.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Shady Side museum celebrates 25 years

2009-11-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Connie Maynard, left, presents Amy and Brice Colhoun of Harwood with a check for $5,000 as the winners of this year’s Shady Side Rural Heritage Society’s annual raffle. The presentation took place last week at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum during the October Heritage Day event.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 10/22/09

Despite the cold and soggy conditions, the West River Heritage Day Oyster Festival in Shady Side brought in a crowd on Sunday at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum. Hundreds turned out for good food, music and a celebration of community.

The event marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society. The society oversees the museum and provides service to the community by organizing guest speakers, promoting an awareness of history, culture, and fundraising.

The society was founded on June 25, 1984, when a group gathered to celebrate the history described in the book, "The Spirit of Shady Side," written by Virginia White Fitz. At that first meeting, Virginia was elected president, and over the course of the next five years, they worked to raise money and eventually purchase the Capt. Salem Avery property to use as a museum for the artifacts and history they were collecting and preserving.

In 1988, they began to hold a raffle as a fundraiser, for which the prize was a truck. When trucks got too expensive to buy, they began to raffle off half of the collected funds. They would sell 2,000, $10 tickets, and then give away $10,000.

Although they have long since paid off the mortgage, they are still working on building restoration and ongoing maintenance, so they continue the raffle tradition each year. The winner is still selected at the October Heritage Day event.

This year, they reduced the ticket price to $5 each, but still sold 2,000 tickets. This made the payout of the raffle $5,000.

Amy and Brice Colhoun of Harwood were the lucky winners this year. Amy is the manager of the West/ Rhode Riverkeeper program, and Brice is a builder and furniture maker. Amy bought her ticket at the festival.

The museum is open to the public on Sundays, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 141 E.W. Shady Side Road. Online information is available at www.ShadySideMuseum.org.

In Galesville, the West River Improvement Association recently won an $800 grant from the Maryland State Arts Council to host a series of six traditional, participatory dances at Galesville Memorial Hall at 952 Main St.

The first square dance is slated for Saturday. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., then the live music and dancing at 7 p.m. The cost for entry is $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 5 to 17; and admission is free for children under 5.

The theme for the first dance is Halloween, but the organizing principals of the dance are to revive a folk art form, namely called dances and live folk music performance.

Instruction in dance styles will be provided, including traditional American folk dancing, square and circle dances, longways sets, and waltzes. Professional musicians who play in the traditional Appalachian style will perform, but sit-in musicians are invited to join on fiddle, guitar and banjo.

This Saturday's dance will feature Leah Weiss on fiddle, Gary Wright on bass and special guests David and Mary Winston playing banjo and guitar.

At 8:30 p.m., more challenging dances will be called.

There is no need for a partner, experience or lessons.

The hall is handicapped-accessible, and the events are purposefully planned to be multi-generational, family-friendly events.

Children learning traditional dance styles like clogging or Irish step, will be afforded an opportunity - and encouraged - to perform with live musical accompaniment during the breaks.

Dates for the future dances are: Dec. 5, Feb. 13, March 27 and May 1. Each of these events begins with the potluck dinner followed by the dance. All dances will be held at Galesville Memorial Hall in Galesville.

For more information, visit www.galesville.info.

Photo contest winners announced

2009-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Tim Laur of Annapolis stands with his blue-ribbon winning photograph, “Fishing in the Creek.” The photo was one of seven winners in the competition “Local Lens: Images of South County and the Bay.” The photo contest entries are currently on display at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 10/15/09

The Shady Side Rural Heritage Society recently sponsored a photography competition, "Local Lens: Images of South County and the Bay." The contest was open to any photographer, but the photographs were to have been taken over the course of the 2009 summer.

On Oct. 4, the society opened a showing of the photos at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side, featuring the 136 entries, which were taken by 55 local photographers. With the exhibit opening, the society named seven of the photos as blue ribbon winners. All of the images will be on display at the museum, Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., through the end of the year.

There is no charge to see the exhibit.

The winners were: Jane Brown for "Mother and Child," Bruce George for "The Harvest," John W. Koontz for "Summer Goose," Melvin Howard III for "The Edna Florence," Tim Laur for "Fishing in the Creek," Al Schreitmueller for "Island Lark: Vanishing Point" and Lindsey Whitaker for "A Creek Reflection."

All of the photographs are also available for display on the Web site at www.shadysidemuseum.org under the tab, "Exhibits."

Each of the winning photographs are not only on display at the museum and online, they have also been turned into greeting cards, available for purchase for $1.50 each, or four for $5 at the Captain Salem Avery Museum gift shop.

The winners of the photo competition were announced on Oct. 4, when the exhibit showing was opened to the public. Three judges were asked to select their favorites. The subjects of the images included 26 photographs of boats, 16 pictures of Osprey and 12 photos of sunsets, among others. All of the images were printed and mounted for display by the photographers.

Tim Laur of Annapolis was one of the winning photographers. He shoots with a Nikon digital camera, a D200. He had previously entered and won other local competitions, including taking a first place in photography last year at the community art show hosted by River Gallery in Galesville.

His winning shot this year was taken at a friend's house. The image looks through the tree as the warm hues of a setting sun highlight a couple of anglers sitting in a boat. The sparse branches of a tree silhouette the Rhode River and the setting sun. It is beautifully composed.

Laur said that he has long been a hobby photographer.

"I started when I was a teenager in the darkroom," Laur said. "I've been with digi--tal now for about eight or 10 years," he said.

He is still learning the tricks of Photoshop imaging software, but the photo he selected for the Shady Side competition was just a straight printout from his desktop computer.

He didn't take the picture with the idea of entering it in the competition; rather he had taken a number of shots over the summer and just decided to submit three that he selected upon reviewing his 2009 portfolio.

This weekend would be an excellent time to see the exhibit during the society's West River Heritage Day Oyster Festival, on Sunday, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Avery House Museum.

Attendees at the festival will be invited to vote on their favorite photograph - thereby selecting a "People's Choice" winner. There will be several categories, including elementary, middle and high school student; adult; and professional.

The festival will also offer tasty treats, like oysters by Adams the Place for Ribs; crabcakes by Skipper's Pier; plus hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cake, beer, wine and soda.

In addition, tours of the museum, music, crafts, entertainers, and children's activities will be featured. The winner of the $5,000 raffle will be announced.

The event is also a celebration of the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society's 25th anniversary. Visitors are asked to park at the Shady Side ballfields and take the shuttle service, which is free. The museum is located at 1418 E.W. Shady Side Road.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: From pre-K to high school: celebrations and achievements

2009-10-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Stan Charney helps his son Jayden, 4, decorate a pumpkin at the Family Fun Day celebration at the South County Pre-Kindergarten Co-op in Davidsonville Saturday.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 10/15/09

Educating our young people takes the time, energy and resources of many people. In south county, that effort has gotten off to a big start this fall, in fundraising, extracurricular fun and traditional celebrations.

On Saturday, the South County Pre-Kinder-garten Co-op in Davidson-ville hosted its annual Family Fun Day at their Davidson-ville location off of Queen Anne's Bridge Road.

The school, in existence for over 30 years, is run cooperatively by parents, who serve on the board of directors, and do all of the service and maintence jobs that keep the school running. Two paid staff, "Miss Barbara" and "Miss Ann," provide student instruction.

On Saturday, SCPC hospitality chairwomen Caitlin Pavon and Donna Capps organized the family day event for about 180 people, both current students and alumni.

Many of the children came dressed in costume. They were able to paint and decorate pumpkins, enjoy games like pumpkin bowling and bean bag toss, talk to firefighters and EMS, climb on fire trucks and tractors that were lent to the school for the day, and meet Louie, the green, furry mascot for the Bowie Baysox minor league baseball team.

Donna and Caitlin began their preparations for the event in August. They were able to get donations from a variety of local businesses, including Best Pies of Bowie, Chick-fil-A in Edgewater and Patuxent Nurseries.

They contacted Five Guys in Edgewater to cater the event, and supplemented the hot dogs and burgers with sides and salads from Giant, Safeway and Whole Foods. The $6 price tag for the all-you-can-eat luncheon was a delicious bargain.

The parents of each of the four classes at the school came up with games and prizes. Moms and dads took turns manning the game stations.

Stan Charney brought his son Jayden, 4, who was dressed as a police officer, while Stan wore a striped prisoner's outfit.

"He wanted to be a police officer. We went to get his costume and I saw this and couldn't resist," Stan said.

Over at Southern Middle School in Lothian, the school's PTA raised nearly $15,000 during their annual fundraiser.

As a reward for participation, about 150 students were treated to a professional BMX/skateboard show by the Rise Above BMX Team. Principal Jason Dykstra was brought in to be a part of the action. He bravely sat atop a ramp, in a chair, while BMX bike rider JC Knect jumped over him. The money raised will support school needs, and help them to acquire new classroom technologies.

Southern High School in Harwood crowned their Homecoming King and Queen the last weekend in September. Seniors Luke Brown and Beth Vallandingham were crowned at the football game on Friday night, andcelebrated as the King and Queen at the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night. Brown is the goalie for the school's varsity lacrosse team, and Vallandingham is co-captain of the repertory dance company. Both students are active members of the Class of 2010.

On Oct. 3, South River High School in Edgewater crowned their Homecoming King and Queen. Brandt Schwer and Ali Whitmore were named at the dance on Saturday night, after the Saturday afternoon football game. Schwer plays on the boy's varsity soccer and lacrosse teams and is SGA vice president. Whitmore is on the Improv team and involved in the drama department.

Dr. Joan Lehmann has just published her novel, "Heaven Below." It's the story of a coal miner whose lifelong dream is to see the ocean. A tragedy nearly causes him to lose his faith in God. Finally, he makes his way to the Chesapeake Bay. Once he experiences life on the water, he decides there is a heaven above after all - and Shady Side is his heaven below.

Lehmann will be signing copies of her book at the West River Heritage Oyster Festival from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum.

African-American genealogy and reuniting family, friends

2009-10-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Courtesy photo
Roberta Brown Hawkins, Connie Colbert Maynard and Lyndra Pratt Marshall stand outside of the Maryland Archives after a day of genealogical research. The three women are descendants of Alexander Pratt, who was born in south county around 1840. They have worked together to trace their family tree, connecting over 1,000 people. The “Reuniting Family and Friends” event in Davidsonville on Saturday will be a celebration of their findings.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 10/08/09

Lyndra Pratt Marshall, a local genealogy enthusiast who has a passion for African-American genealogy, is hosting a "Reuniting Family and Friends" gathering Saturday at the Davidsonville Ruritan Center.

The day kicks off with genealogy workshops from 9 a.m. until noon, followed by the celebration. There will be food, storytelling, a roll call of surnames, family tree drawings and children's events. Then, from 8 p.m. until midnight, revelers 18 years and older will enjoy a dance and cabaret.

Marshall originally conducted her research as a hobby, but a little over a year ago, while working as a project manager for a government contractor, she learned the agency was being shut down, bringing her 20-year career to an abrupt end.

But Marshall was lucky to be selected to participate in a self-employment assistance program in Baltimore, where she was tasked with coming up with a business plan and providing the necessary documents to start her own company. In June, Marshall completed the program and launched Genealogy Research Business, which helps people find their country of origin through the use of DNA.

DNA testing will also be available at the event, along with a variety of other vendors including makeup, clothing and jewelry sellers, among others.

The DNA testing does not require a blood draw. It is a swab of the inside of the cheek. The sample is sent off to a lab where the maternal lineage, for females, or paternal lineage, for males, is traced to a specific ethnicity. Those results can be matched with present-day African countries, in essence allowing someone to pinpoint where in Africa their ancestors came from.

Gina Paige, president of African Ancestry, Inc., will conduct a workshop on the details of DNA ancestry testing during the morning session. The cost for the workshop is $20. The testing requires an additional fee, but will be available on-site.

In addition, attendees can attend a workshop by Nathania Branch Miles, a member of the Prince George's Chapter of the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Soyciety and an instructor at Prince George's Community College. Miles often conducts classes on research and family reunion planning. This workshop is also available for $20.

Marshall said that while building her own family tree she learned that many families within south county share common ancestors. For years she digitized old photographs and collected memorable items. During her research, Marshall connected with family living nearby - especially poignant because her mother died when she was just 15 years old.

Many of these relatives will be coming to the event. Some of the over 70 names include notable south county families, like: Pratt, Watkins, Duvall, Owens, Sharps, Easton, Booze, Thompson, Tilghmans, Hicks, Pinkneys and more.

Marshall has also brought in historians, archeologists and curators to help those who want help conducting detective work on family memorabilia. In addition, they'll conduct interviews and collect family stories for the South County Family History Project, already boasting 1,000 names.

There will be a fee of $5 to enter the event, and a fee for each of the workshops of $20. In addition, food will be available for purchase including chicken and fish dinners, chicken baskets, hot dogs and plenty of homemade desserts. The dance will cost $15 at the door.

Marshall said that participants should feel free to bring a picnic basket and a blanket for an afternoon of reconnecting with family and friends, noting that no grilling will be permitted on the premises. The Davidsonville Ruritan Center is located at 3358 Davidsonville Road.

For more information about the event, e-mail Lyndra Pratt Marshall at lyndra@geneallofus.com.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Fall festivities - pies to pumpkins

2009-10-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Morgan Sailer, 10, shows off the lattice-top apple pie she entered in the Deale Area Historical Society’s Pie Contest on Saturday. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 10/08/09

The Deale Area Historical Society held a pie contest on Saturday at Greenstreet Gardens in Lothian. Nearly three dozen pies were entered, split between youth and adult categories.

Some of the pies included: apple, pumpkin cheesecake, blackberry cloud, blueberry, cherry custard, chocolate and more.

It cost $5 to enter a pie in the contest, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the DAHS. Once the judges tasted the pies and made their decisions, pieces of the pie were sold to passers-by at $1 a slice.

This was the third year for the contest.

Chef John Kozik, of Skipper's Pier in Deale, was the official judge, although he had assistance from Jerry Rodriguez, who works at Greenstreet Gardens.

"I like anything sweet. We judge on flavor and crust, but not a lot on presentation because sometimes the messier the better," John said.

The winners received gift certificates to area establishments, including the Deale Hardware Store, Skipper's Pier and Greenstreet Gardens.

First place went to Patricia Barr for her Pennsylvania Dutch Cream Pie.

"I found the recipe online," Patricia said. "I like to bake. Last year I entered a chocolate peanut butter pie that didn't win. I'm so excited to have won this year," she said.

Every person who entered a pie gained free entry into the corn maze at Greenstreet Gardens, just up the hill from the main greenhouse.

This year the maze is in the shape of three characters from the "The Wizard of Oz": the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. Non-pie baking visitors who buy a ticket to the maze get a free hay ride up the hill to the starting point, where there are activities for the kids, including a large box filled with corn.

It is almost like a ball pit, with adults and kids diving in and rolling around. There is also a 40-foot enclosed slide, a climbing structure that looks like a pirate ship, and a pumpkin patch. They have face and hair painting on site.

Owner Ray Greenstreet explained how, exactly, they go about making the corn maze: First, they plant the corn later in the season so that it will be green and not brown during the time of the fall festival. Next, they have a company come in with a backpack mounted GPS that tells the cutters where to cut.

"We cut the corn when it first comes up, allowing the remaining corn to grow straight and strong," Ray said.

In addition, the maze is made from sterile corn, so that it won't attract animals. When the maze is done on Nov. 1, they simply mow it down.

The Greenstreet Gardens fall festival runs every weekend, weather permitting, through Nov. 1, and on days when either Calvert or Anne Arundel county schools are closed. The company also hosts field trips for local schools, which includes a curriculum about Maryland agriculture.

Of course they have pumpkins, corn stalks and gourds available for sale. For more information, visit: www.greenstreetgardens.com.

Other ongoing fall festivals include:

The 90-acre Knightongale Farm at the corner of Birdsville Road and Route 2 in Harwood is hosting fall festivities each weekend through Halloween. The festivities are open Saturdays and Sundays only, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.

The farm boasts a "u-pick" pumpkin patch, a corn maze, pony rides, John Deere pedal tractors, hay rides and sales of straw bales, gourds and Indian corn.

In addition, they have farm animals on site for the kids to observe including calves, goats, guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens. Look for the giant spiders made of hay bales at the corner of the property on the northwestern side of the intersection.

Homestead Gardens, at 743 Central Ave. in Davidsonville, hosts its annual fall festival, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 25. Activities for kids include pony rides, hay rides, pumpkin painting, muffin mania and more. In addition, food is available for purchase on site, including burgers, hot dogs, popcorn and fall favorites like apple butter, apple pies and cider.

Homestead Gardens and the SPCA will hold an adoption center from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday with music by The Mudbloods also starting at noon.

Send your south county news to AroundSoCo@verizon.net.

Around South County: Deale VFD hosting open house

2009-10-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Deale VFD Chief Dale Browning shows off some of the new rescue equipment the company was able to purchase with their new ladder truck. The Jaws of Life, shown, allows fire fighters and rescue workers to cut victims out of cars that have been involved in auto accidents. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 10/01/09

The Deale Volunteer Fire Department will host an open house from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. The event will bring fire protection information, refreshments and dignitaries into the local fire station, but it will also be an opportunity for the community to get a good look at the brand new, $660,000 100-foot ladder truck.

The new truck will also be dedicated at a ceremony. A plaque will be unveiled, and the truck will be dedicated in honor of Tommy Manifold, the former chief of the department for 27 years, and a dedicated fire fighter in Deale for over 54 years, who passed away five years ago.

"There was not a day that he wasn't here, not a tree he didn't trim, not a wall he didn't paint," Deale volunteer firefighter Karen Browning George said about Tommy's legacy at the Deale company.

Other current and past chiefs will also be on hand, including Ray Mudd, Carl Nutwell and Russ Lancaster. In addition, County Executive John R. Leopold, state Sen. Ed Reilly and Del. Bob Costa are also slated to attend.

Dale Browning is Deale's current chief. He said that the Deale firefighters have been working to raise money for their new ladder truck for years. The life span of a fire truck is about 20 years, and the Deale fire station's old ladder truck was a 1991 model.

They received money from the county, through a state grant program, in the amount of $100,000. The remaining $500,000-plus they had to raise themselves through a variety of fundraisers.

One of their main annual fundraisers is Morgue Manor, a haunted house that operates out of an abandoned home near the fire station. The firefighters decorate and "haunt" the house, making each room its own scary encounter.

Each year the house is completely different - they even move the interior walls around. But each year the 45 volunteers who work at the station, and their families and friends, give their best effort to create a creepy experience for the hundreds of visitors who bravely enter.

This year, Morgue Manor opens on Oct. 15, and runs some weeknights and each weekend through Halloween. Dates and times vary, and can be found on the DVFD Web site at www.Deale42.com.

To visit Morgue Manor, visitors arrive at the fire station on Drum Point Road to park. There, they can partake of refreshments while they wait for the red school bus that takes them the short ride to the site of the haunted house. Visitors are dropped off at the end of the driveway, where they take a short walk to the house. Once visitors have paid the $12 to ride the bus and enter the house, they don't get a refund if they are too scared to go in.

This fundraiser, along with others, like cookouts and community events, over several years, allowed them to raise the funds necessary to earn enough money to buy the new truck.

"People might ask why we need a ladder truck in Deale," Chief Browning said, while explaining that the truck is routinely used for rescues.

As part of the new ladder truck acquisition, the fire company received a $50,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security to buy a variety of rescue equipment, including stabilizing equipment and jacks so that they can right an overturned car. They also got new Jaws of Life tools to be able to cut and spread car metal to get at victims needing to be rescued from auto accidents.

There are other tools too, like the airbags that they deploy to spread iron bars or pry metal apart to do rescues. "We use these, for example if a kid gets his head stuck in metal deck railings," Chief Browning explained.

The new ladder truck, along with the safety and fire prevention trailer, refreshments, smoke machine, fire prevention information and handouts for emergency preparedness will all be available at the open house at 6007 Drum Point Road in Deale.

Send your south county news to AroundSoCo@verizon.net.

Around South County: Lions honor police, fir

2009-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

South County Lions Club President Joe Gomoljak, at left, and Paul Acito, master of ceremonies for the Lions, at right, present county police Cpl. Damien Dzambo and fire department Lt. Russell Davies Jr. with their awards as Policeman of the Year and Firefighter of the Year, respectively. The men were cited for their service to the south county community over the past year. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 09/24/09

Last week the South County Lions Club honored two outstanding public servants: A county police officer from the Southern District Station in Edgewater, and a firefighter/EMS (Emergency Medical Service) from the Harwood Fire Station.

Cpl. Damien Dzambo was named the 2009 Police Officer of the Year and Lt. Russell Davies Jr. was named 2009 Firefighter of the Year.

Lions Club President Joe Gomoljak said the reason for the awards was to honor people in the area who are involved with the community.

Master of Ceremonies Paul Acito came up with the idea for the awards about seven years ago.

"We felt that these guys put their lives on the line every day. They're in danger all the time, and they should be recognized," Acito said.

The winners are limited to police officers and firefighters who serve in south county. The leaders of their respective districts select the winners on behalf of the Lions Club.

Cpl. Dzambo was selected by Capt. Bill Krampf, who nominated the officer in part because he "gives 100 percent effort," all the time."

Capt. Krampf was unable to attend, but sent Lt. Tim Altomane, who read the nomination letter to the assembled club members and other attendees.

Altomane said that Dzambo is not only an officer with an outstanding record of arrests and citations, but also a public servant whose interaction with citizens sets an example for other officers.

He gave several examples including how Dzambo quickly resolved a parental abduction in Edgewater. In that case, a father had taken his 13-year-old son to Florida, denying the mother court-ordered custody. Dzambo tracked down the father, contacted Florida authorities and reunited the mother with her child - all within a 48-hour period.

"I have two kids, and I thought of what we would have to do to get the child back," Dzambo said.

He said he wanted to be a police officer for a long time, but his wife was reluctant to send him into such a dangerous line of work.

After graduating from college, he worked at a lab at the University of Maryland. But he went to the police academy, "as soon as my wife finally said I could," Dzambo said.

For their sacrifices, the Lions presented Dzambo's and Davies' wives, Mollie Dzambo and Tammy Davies, with $100 gift cards to Pirates Cove restaurant in Galesville.

Fire Chief John Robert Ray nominated Firefighter of the Year Lt. Russell Davies Jr.

Capt. James Craze of the Harwood Fire Station stepped to the microphone to read the nominating letter, but he had a few words to say before he began to read.

"Its easy to recognize people who do a few great things, or even one thing. But to do a job at a very high level day after day - that is hard," Craze said, adding that he was personally honored to see Davies receive the award.

Davies is an EMS supervisor who is admired by his peers, subordinates and supervisors. "His calm demeanor and extraordinary level of competency plus a keen eye for safety and customer service make him stand out as worthy of Firefighter of the Year award," Chief' Ray's nominating letter said.

Davies said he is in the job because he likes to help people. "I'm in a unique position (as a supervisor for quality assurance and improvement) to help the public and help coworkers," Davies said.

Both men received a plaque, and framed copies of their nomination letters.

Seven-year old Maddie Currey of Harwood recently received a great honor at the Anne Arundel County Fair in Crownsville. The young artist got both a Best in Show and First Place award for her hand-painted chair, submitted in the handicrafts category.

Maddie painted the chair at the Arts in the Attic summer camp in Lothian.

Donna Schmitz, who suggested to Maddie's mother Laura that she enter the chair, runs the day camp.

Maddie made the chair in a week. "I thought of myself and I wanted it to go in my room and I wanted it to be blue because it is my favorite color," Maddie said.

The chair is blue with red polka dots. Maddie painted her face on the seat.

Laura said that the judge who notified her of the win said that the judges were impressed and that "they could tell that she really did it on her own," she said.

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Artists will exhibit work in south county show starting Friday

2009-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 09/17/09

The Muddy Creek Artists Guild will present an art show and sale the last two weeks of September in Deale. The "Harvest of Artists" is the second art show for the group, which comprises artists of all media who live south of the South River.

The show will take place in the former Blockbuster store at 5735 Deale-Churchton Road, daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., starting tomorrow through Sunday and the following weekend, Sept. 24 through 27. Times are daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The show is open to the public. No admission will be charged.

In keeping with the harvest theme, the artists are asking patrons to bring a non-perishable food item for the South County Assistance Network, a food bank that operates out of St. James' Parish in Lothian.

In addition, a percentage of the proceeds from art sales during the show will be donated to SCAN.

Artists include a wide variety of mediums. There are painters in oils, acrylics, pastels and water color; jewelry and metal artisans; photographers; potters; sculptors and woodworkers; as well as quilters, basket weavers, print makers and stained glass artists, among others.

The Muddy Creek Aritists Guild was formed earlier this year by Bea Poulin, a Shady Side photographer who thought that maybe she could get a dozen or so fellow artists in south county to join her in putting on an art show a couple of times a year.

Poulin talked to friends and decided to have a meeting in April to gauge interest.

"At that meeting, we had over 30 people show up," Poulin said.

As of this week, the group's Web site boasts over 100 artists and a handful of patrons, who have signed on to support the mission of the guild.

On each Saturday during the show, the guild will host an artists' reception at 4 p.m. There will also be an awards reception at 2 p.m. Sunday. A closing reception will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 27 with light refreshments and live music.

Art demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the show.

At their premiere show in the spring at Galesville Memorial Hall, the guild drew over 600 people.

This eight-day, eight-night exhibition will showcase all original works by artists from Churchton, Davidsonville, Deale, Dunkirk, Edgewater, Friendship, Galesville, Harwood, Lothian, Mayo, Shady Side and Tracys Landing.

For more information, contact Bea Poulin, president of the guild, at 410-867-7361 or visit www.MuddyCreekArtistsGuild.org.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Davidsonville woman wins award for volunteer work with seniors

2009-09-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Dottie Beauregard is a volunteer at the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging. As such, she has helped countless local seniors to navigate the complexities of senior health insurance, Medicare, TRICARE and veteran’s benefits.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 09/17/09

Davidsonville resident Dottie Beauregard has done a lot to help seniors in our area. For 16 years, she has volunteered her time with the Department of Aging to help seniors navigate Medicare and the Senior Health Insurance Program.

Sometimes it means helping to determine the best Medicare plan options, while other times it might be helping to ferret out fraud and abuse of the system.

Because of her work, Dottie was recently presented the Senior Medical Patrol Volunteer Excellence Award at a conference and luncheon in Washington, D.C.

Ten recipients from nine states and the territory of Guam received the award. Having a winner in south county is quite an honor since there are thousands and thousands of volunteers in both the SHIP and the Senior Medical Patrol programs.

Dottie started her service with the county Department of Aging in 1993. She came to a free talk about Medicare because her husband was turning 65, and she wanted more information about the programs and policies available to him.

"I listened to the talk and I've been volunteering ever since," Dottie said.

Five years after she first began working on the SHIP program, she took training to be involved in the SMP.

"We try to see if there is fraud. Sometimes people think it is doctors, or sometimes it is people who are trying to provide services who try to con people, or people who sell insurance, and the insurers who are overeager," Dottie said.

But she added that most cases she investigates are simply cases of miscommunication. For example, a patient who visits the doctor and is subsequently billed for an appointment or procedure that he or she can't recall. Dottie said that one of the best things for seniors to do is to carry a small note pad to record the dates, and provider names, for any medical visits or services.

Amy Rubino, Dottie's volunteer supervisor and trainer at the County Department of Aging, submitted Dottie's name for the award because of one particular case she had worked especially hard to resolve. It was a case that took months to find closure on.

The situation was an 80-year-old woman who was a retired federal worker. She carried federal employee's health insurance. The woman had somehow gotten herself signed up for a Medicare program that she didn't need, which created an overlap with her existing federal health insurance coverage. Her federal plan was better than Medicare Part D, and Dottie needed to get the Medicare plan dropped.

"It took a lot of work. I was headed out to vacation, and I was on the phone to the Office of Personnel Management as we were going over the Bay Bridge," Dottie said.

Dottie said that she continues to do this work because she enjoys helping people, but also because she enjoys solving problems.

"Lately we've been getting pretty complex problems. Now with all of the different components, Parts A, B, C and D. Most people don't understand it until they get to that age. Then suddenly it opens a whole new world of jargon," Dottie said.

In order to be able to consult with residents about the complexities of the programs, Dottie has had to undergo hours and hours of training, which is ongoing. Next up, she will be learning about TRICARE and Veterans Administration programs.

She advises any seniors or their caregivers to never, ever give out either their Social Security or Medicare number to anyone who phones.

"Have them (the caller) give you a number so that you can call them back," Dottie said.

And for those new to the senior insurance system, look for talks at your local senior center or nutrition center. The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging staff presents free informational lectures about Medicare and SHIP programs throughout the year.

The Anne Arundel CountyDepartment of Aging Web site has resources on both the SHIP and the SMP programs at www.aacounty.org. To reach the Department of Aging directly, call 410-222-4464.

Patrick Owen of Davidsonville has already earned the highest award in Boy Scouts - his Eagle Award. But that hasn't stopped him from continuing to give back to his community.

This past weekend Patrick organized a group of Scouts from the Capitol District, which includes southern Anne Arundel County, to help maintain the nature preserve at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian.

Over the weekend, the young men removed non-native plants and replanted the area with local grass species.

Around South County: Heirloom doll collection donated to Salem Avery House Museum

2009-09-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — For the Capital Melanie Turner, a volunteer at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum, arranges one of the 100 dolls recently donated to the museum by the Stockton family.

By MICHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 09/10/09

Vilma Stockton was either a full- or part-time resident of Shady Side for most of her life. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1929, she was a permanent resident in her home on the West River for over 25 years, until she died in early August of this year.

Word recently came from her son, Charles, that the Stockton family is donating over 100 of Vilma's handcrafted porcelain dolls to the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society, which operates the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum, where Vilma was a member.

The museum will keep a number of the dolls, but plans to auction off individual dolls as a fundraiser.

The dolls will be on display and sale during the upcoming West River Heritage Day festival on Oct. 18. Museum Director Laurel Fletcher is excited to have the collection.

"I think it is fantastic that we have something made by people in the local community," Laurel said. "So many things we buy as souvenirs are produced outside of our country, it is nice to see the wonderful things handmade by local craftsmen," she said.

Last Saturday, Pat Freiburg and Melanie Turner, two museum volunteers, took the collection in and began sorting through the dolls and their sometimes-elaborate costumes.

Vilma created the dolls over a 10-year period beginning in the 1990s. Although her eyesight was deteriorating during that time, she continued to paint on the dolls' faces and sew their outfits, handcrafting each mannequin.

There is a Huck Finn-type doll, with a fishing pole and wooden fishing bucket. He has red hair and perfect freckles across his nose. He is wearing a plaid shirt and denim overalls - all made by Vilma.

There is an old grandmother and grandfather who stand together. The grandfather has two small corncob pipes sticking out of his overalls, while the grandmother has a weathered face and a perfect replica of a calico, prairie-style dress.

Vilma, an African American, made black, white and Native American dolls. There are period-themed dolls, like the Victorian dolls dressed in stockings, petticoats and an elaborate purple hat with fuchsia bird plumage, pink flowers and white lace. There is a Father Christmas with white hair and white fur trimming his robe, and a priest and nun.

Melanie said that in looking through the boxes of costumes, she's been surprised by some of the things she has found.

"There is a hat from a New York City millinery shop, the 'House of Style,' " Melanie said. "She really went out of her way to get the details right," she said.

Melanie is in charge of the museum gift shop. She said that once the dolls are inventoried and appraised, she will take appointments from prospective buyers to see the dolls.

Pat, who was a friend and neighbor to Vilma, said that Vilma had suffered through a brain tumor and that friends and neighbors had greatly helped in her final months.

"This is a really special gift for the museum. She was a loving and special person and I think she would be thrilled to know that we have her dolls on display here at the museum," Pat said.

To make an appointment to see the dolls, call the museum at 410-867-4486.

Three south county Catholic churches gather for joint picnic

2009-09-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — For The Capital Gary Gunde, 10, Madelyn Arnold, 10, and Glenn Seward, 10, of Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville attack the Rev. Joe Cosgrove of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Edgewater during an epic water pistol battle held during the Tri-Parish Picnic on Sunday.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 09/03/09

The three south county Catholic parishes met at Camp Barrett in Crownsville on Sunday for the second annual Tri-Parish Mass and Picnic.

The event attracted over 1,000 parishioners from Holy Family in Davidsonville, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Edgewater and Our Lady of Sorrows in West River.

The idea of a picnic was deemed necessary when last year the Baltimore diocese tasked the three churches with developing different scenarios in the event that there might not be a priest available to minister each parish. A committee was then formed made up of six members from each parish.

The group currently meets once a month for several hours and tries to develop scenarios. For example, "What if there were two priests for the three parishes?" Or, "What if there were one priest for the three?"

Mary Catherine Haines is one of the representatives on the committee from Our Lady of Sorrows.

"We got a two-year time line to make our recommendations," she saidof the committee.

"We are looking at scenarios generically, not if a specific priest were to go," she said.

The Rev. Mark Logue added that it isn't likely that the church would remove one of the priests. He said it would be more probable that someone might retire at some point, leaving a vacancy.

As the committee began to undertake its work, they thought it would be a good idea to get the three parishes together so that everyone could get a feel for each church.

And so last year the first tri-parish picnic was born. It also took place at the Elks' Camp Barrett site.

They had volunteers get together to plan the event. Planning took seven months. The picnic organizers were: from our Lady of Sorrows, Mary Catherine Haines and Adele Hook; from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Marian Creveling and Jennifer Galloway; and from Holy Family, the largest of the three parishes, Laura Benso, Kathy Elder, Barbara Zukowski and Joan Jenkins.

This year, the planning group expanded on their original idea, moving the Mass to an earlier time, and adding children's races, plus activities, like the rock wall and "adreneline rush," an inflatable play structure.

That was on top of the plethora of activities they brought back from last year: a moon bounce, the swimming pool, pony rides and a zip line to name a few.

The Rev. Joe Cosgrove of Our Lady of Perpetual Help had the brilliant idea of arming the children with water pistols.

The committee took him up on it, and then committee members made the three priests custom T-shirts. Father Cosgrove's had a prominent red target on the back.

An hour into the festivities, Father Cosgrove was soaked, with children seeking him out for water pistol target practice.

"I deserve it since I came up with the idea," he joked.

The Rev. Joe Barr, the priest from Holy Family, had a T-shirt the committee made for him that said, "Aren't you looking for the other Father Joe?"

He was peacefully talking to parishioners in the shade of the picnic pavilion, far from the battle of water pistols. Unlike Father Cosgrove, Father Joe Barr was dry completely untouched by the spray of the water guns.

Ralph and Donna Sita brought their family out for the day. They are members at Holy Family. "We love coming out, it's a lot of fun," Donna Sita said.

The proud parents stood by and watched as their son Matthew, 10, got dunked several times while sitting in the dunk tank.

Matthew is a student at School of the Incarnation in Gambrills. She added that it was also great because "he gets to see a lot of his classmates, and some are from other parishes."

The mingling with those from other parishes is just what organizers wanted.

"After last year's picnic, meetings opened up a bit and more parishioners came out. We're really celebrating our differences," Haines said.

The event takes hundreds of volunteers to pull off because church members who step forward run most of the activities.

Joan Jenkins, one of the organizers from Holy Family, said that after last year's success, they didn't have any trouble filling the roster of helpers.

"This year our volunteers were more mixed, with people from all three parishes helping in all areas," Jenkins said. "It's all volunteers. That is really the beautiful part of it."

Erin Hook, 15, from Our Lady of Sorrows, came out to help with the face painting table. She counseled little Sophie Vallerio, 5, of Holy Family about the images available to her at the face painting booth.

Sophie's mom, Julie, stood by while her daughter took time to make a careful decision. "We came last year and had so much fun and I love the outside Mass," she said.

"It's nice to come together and celebrate, especially on such a beautiful day," she added.

The committee will put together scenarios to present to a unified meeting of the three parishes in October at a neutral location. Father Barr thought that it would likely be held at the Knights of Columbus hall in Edgewater.

"We'll all get together for the presentation and then we can get feedback on what we might have overlooked," he said.

As for the picnic, Jenkins said, "people seem to like it, so I hope we do it again."

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Missionaries pay a visit, lay a new roof for Deale church

2009-09-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Workman family, missionaries from North Carolina, put the finishing touches on the new roof at First Baptist Church in Deale. From left, Sara, Ray Sr., Keisha and Ray Jr. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 09/03/09

The First Baptist Church on Deale Churchton Road recently celebrated 50 years as a congregation.

Weeks before their official celebration, they got a call from the Workman family in Kings Mountain, N.C. The family was visiting independent Baptist churches in the southeastern United States in an effort to gain support for their fledgling parish outside of Charlotte, N.C. Ray Workman and his family wanted to know if they could come and meet the parishioners at Deale's First Baptist.

The Rev. Robert Mayes of First Baptist, talked to Ray about their efforts to start a church that Ray would head up as pastor. He also learned that the family was very musical, performing with French horn, clarinet, flute, piccolo, saxophone, piano and vocals.

First Baptist was in need of music accompaniment for their anniversary celebration, and so the minister invited Ray, his wife and six children to come to Deale.

Next, Rev. Mayes put out word that he'd need to find a place for the family of eight to sleep.

Ann Brown, a First Baptist parishioner, who lives a few blocks from the church, offered to host the family in her home on Rockhold Creek. And so it came to be that a family of missionaries from North Carolina came to Deale to help celebrate the local church's half-century in the community.

All eight members of Workman family came to the parish to celebrate in June - Ray, wife Wanda, and their six children: Sara, Christina, Allison, Keisha, Valerie and Ray Jr.

When the family arrived, they found a church that had more needs than musical accompaniment. The church needed help with a major construction project - replacement of the roof on the sanctuary.

As Rev. Mayes and Ray got to know one other, the Deale pastor learned that Ray wasn't only a fellow clergyman, but also in the construction business with all of his family, working alongside him. The two men talked about the church's need for a new roof and made a tentative plan for the Workman family to return to Deale to help with the roofing project.

The Workmans celebrated with the parish, then left for travels to other churches to drum up support for their new place of worship.

Rev. Mayes and the family kept in contact, and by the last week in August, the Workman family was back in Deale to do the roofing job.

Once again, Ann opened her house to the family of eight.

"She even stocked the refrigerator," Ray said.

The Deale church had a building fund for the materials, which cost about $2,500. The roof is typical stock - asphalt shingle. They had it delivered and ready to go when the Workman family returned to Deale last week.

Despite the heat, the family got right to work with Ray and his son on the roof along with Ray's daughters, who ranged in age from 15 to 31. All of the women wore full-length skirts with work boots. It was quite the sight, seeing them go up and down the ladder, their long dresses adorned only by their tool belts.

Each evening, they returned to Ann's house, where they got a real feel for Maryland life. Ray Jr., in particular, became fond of catching crabs off the dock behind Ann's house..

"I got a half a bushel using chicken necks on Rockhold Creek," he said with a wide smile.

"Where we're from, they call that a river," Ray Sr. said. "A creek is something real small, that you could walk across," he said, describing one of the regional differences.

"Pastor Mayes then teased, "isn't a creek down there pronounced crik?"

"No, a crik is what you get in your neck," Ray Sr. joked.

The exchange gave everyone on the job site a laugh, and showed how thecamaraderie of the weeks' work had sown a great friendship.

By Saturday morning, the entire roof was completed.

The family spent Sunday morning with the parish, then headed back to North Carolina. They will continue on their rounds to garner support for their church. They've already visited over 100 churches from the Everglades to Pennsylvania.

But they left Deale with the backing of another parish.

First Baptist Church of Deale voted as a congregation last Wednesday to send the family support for their new undertaking.

"They're good people - we'd have done it without their help," Rev. Mayes said.

Around South County: Girl's passion is helping animals

2009-09-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Maddy McQueeney, 10, with her dog Bosun. Maddy is holding up the book she wrote and self-published. Copies of the book were given away to friends and family, and any cash contributions collected were given to the Annapolis SPCA. It is one of many activities Maddy has undertaken as a way to raise money for the animal shelter — a passion of the Edgewater girl.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 08/27/09

Maddy McQueeney loves animals. The 10-year-old mostly loves dogs, but she also likes cats and other animals. In fact, her very first word was "dog."

When Maddy grows up, she said that she wants to live on a farm so that she can take care of "lots of dogs and other animals too." But that could change because she also sometimes feels like she wants to be a teacher, or a writer.

The Edgewater girl is so passionate about animals that she spends much of her time thinking of ways to raise money for the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Annapolis SPCA on Bay Ridge Avenue.

For her 10th birthday last year, Maddy had a party at her house. The girls she invited played Pictionary and ate cake. But instead of accepting gifts for herself, Maddy asked that her friends bring gifts for the animals at the shelter.

Six of her friends collected 20- and 40-pound bags of dog food, treats and dog biscuits, collars, and one even brought a 2-foot-long rawhide chew bone.

Maddy said she always liked animals, but two things triggered her to take action. One was the heart-wrenching sight of a cat springing from its owners arms outside of a veterinary hospital in Edgewater and darting into the street, where it was struck by a car.

"I saw that and decided it shouldn't happen," Maddy said.

Another thing, Maddy said, was that a neighborhood boy, Jacob Mondoro, told her about some of the things he'd seen on Animal Planet's "Animal Cops" television show.

The show focuses on animal control officers and the horrible conditions they find animals living in: filth, fighting, abuse, starvation.

"I didn't watch the show, but I heard about it and decided to make a change," Maddy said.

She is passionate about making sure that animals be spayed and neutered, "so that there aren't so many animals," Maddy said.

So she hosted the birthday party and delivered the donations to the shelter.

That effort made her feel good.

She also participated with her family in the SPCA Walk at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis this past spring. For that she raised over $100.

Next, she wrote a book, "Ella Elizabeth and Grimy," which her mom Jennifer helped her to self-publish. It is a fantasy story, not about dogs or animals at all, but since Maddy is a good writer and enjoys reading fantasy fiction, she decided to tell a magical story.

She gave copies of the book to her friends and family members, and accepted donations from anyone willing to contribute. For that, she got over $100, which she again took straight to the shelter.

In addition, the money that Maddy earns from her pet sitting business goes into her collection jar, which she takes to the shelter whenever she can.

Her dad, Ryan, said that they stop by the shelter whenever they're over that way, sometimes to visit the animals, sometimes to drop off items that Maddy has collected.

"They're very good about recording and recognizing contributions," Ryan said. "Maddy always gets a letter and gets her picture taken," he said.

Unfortunately, shelter rules prohibit Maddy from volunteering at the facility because she isn't yet 13.

Sue Beatty is the SPCA's executive director. "The SPCA depends on the support of our community and we are very grateful to Maddy for her thoughtful and very generous contributions," Sue said.

She noted that the cash contributions from people like Maddy are used to helpbuy food for the shelter animals.

Maddy said that she will continue her efforts to help the animals. Next up is an activity with her friend Loren Suite, 10. The girls are making items to sell, like bookmarks and jewelry. Once they sell them, they will donate the money to the shelter.

Maddy is also in the middle of writing another story about a girl who lives in the middle of the mall. She sleeps in a mattress store and bathes in the public fountain. She hopes she can get copies made of that book to sell to raise money as well.

South County Lions Club gearing up for full fall schedule

2009-09-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Flea market, vision screenings and food pantry collections in October

Courtesy photo George Turner tests Abbie Brown, 5, during a Lions vision screening event earlier this year. The South Anne Arundel Lions Club is hosting a flea market service event in October, and is currently taking reservations for spaces.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 08/27/09

With the hope of helping local residents earn money and clear out unwanted items, the South Anne Arundel Lions Club is busy planning a fall service event to include a flea market on Oct. 17 in Galesville.

Table sign-ups and space rentals are being accepted, the cost is $10 for those who bring their own tables and $15 for those who would like to rent one. The flea market is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the two empty lots behind the cemetery on Main Street.

A secondary aspect of the event is to collect nonperishable food items for the South County Assistance Network, a food pantry run out of St. James' Church in Lothian. Instead of asking for parking or entry fees, the Lions are asking for canned goods or a box of food.

The Lions have been around the south county area for over 60 years, while the international organization was chartered over 90 years ago. One of the main goals of the club is working to save eyesight. In the early years, the organization teamed up with Helen Keller to launch an effort to prevent people from going blind. That mission has carried through to the new century with the Lions conducting vision screenings on a regular basis.

They'll have their vision screening equipment at the Galesville event. Alice English, second vice president of the south county chapter, said that the group shares six special cameras with other Lions clubs in the district, which runs from Harford County through Baltimore city and county and down into Anne Arundel.

English said that the screening is mostly done on children, ages 2 to 6. After age 6, a kind of film naturally grows over the retina, preventing the special cameras from finding vision problems. But before age 6, the camera can pick up a variety of vision troubles, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, among others.

The screening is non-invasive, takes just seconds, andthe results are available immediately. If the results are abnormal, referrals to local ophthalmologists are made.

Earlier this year, the group screened children at the May Fair at South River Colony Main Street in Edgewater. Of 52 children screened at that event, seven needed referrals.

English also pointed out that the screenings the Lions' cameras provide are much more conclusive than those provided to students in the public schools. Those tests simply reveal whether or not a student might need glasses. It isn't comprehensive enough to reveal other vision problems, including issues that surgery can easily resolve in a young child.

The group annually goes to preschools in the area to conduct free vision tests. They screen students at Lula G. Scott in Shady Side, Tender Years Child Development in Deale, and Chalk Point Childcare in Churchton, among others.

Aside from vision screenings, the Lions are also a comprehensive community service organization that helps where help is needed. They build ramps for the handicapped at both public buildings, like churches, and at private residences for those in need.

They are currently helping a local man who was injured in an automobile accident. He lost a leg when he was hit by a drunk driver, and the group is building out his garage into a handicapped-accessible living space.

The flea market and service fair will not only provide help to south county residents, but it will also be a fun day for families. They plan on having a moon bounce, face painting, pumpkin painting, and other children's activities along with food and beverages.

For those who don't manage to sell everything at the flea market, the Lions have also arranged for Purple Heart charities to pick up whatever is left at the end of the day.

For more information, or to reserve a table, call 410-867-6026.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Edgewater Scout builds new garden at First Baptist Church

2009-08-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

Michael Riley stands in the sanctuary garden outside the First Baptist Church in Edgewater. Michael recently earned his Eagle Scout award for his work in creating the garden. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 08/20/09

South county teen Michael Riley picked up his Eagle Award earlier this month at a ceremony held at First Baptist Church in Edgewater.

A member of Troop 741, which meets at the Deale Elks Lodge, Michael wanted his ceremony to be held at the church since that was the location of his Eagle project.

Two years ago, Michael began considering what kind of project he wanted to do to earn his Eagle Scout award. He consulted with Scout leaders and some of the church elders at First Baptist, and decided that a project that involved his church would be a good fit.

After meetings with the pastor and the church youth leader, the teen decided on the creation of a sanctuary garden outside the main entrance to the church.

At the time, the site was landscaped with dozens of large boxwood shrubs and other plantings.

Michael met with a landscape designer who helped him to plan out a use for the space. The idea was to have seating and picnic tables so that when the church held dinners, people could have a place to eat outside. In addition, the area could be used as a quiet place for Bible study before or after services.

Once Michael met with the designer, he started to get an idea of the enormity of the project. He knew he could count on his fellow Scouts for the labor, but he also needed to acquire the benches, picnic tables, mulch and plants for the new space.

Michael worked tirelessly to make contacts in the community. He called Johnson Lumber to get the lumber donated. He contacted Greenstreet Gardens who donated the design services and Trent Hill Nurseries who donated the plants. He contacted Level Green Landscaping in Deale for the mulch and weed barrier cloth as well as use of a backhoe to dig out the existing shrubbery.

On a sunny weekend in June of last year, Michael put all of the pieces of his project together. He had over 60 volunteers on site. That number included not only the youth group from his church, but also fellow Scouts. He enlisted friends and family too. The age of participants ranged from 5 to 70, many putting in two, 9-hour days to get the job done. In all, Michael's Eagle project took 470 man-hours.

By the end, he'd also collected over $2,500 in donations, which he used to supplement the donated items. For example, he had to buy the frames for the picnic tables and benches. Because he wanted something that would last, he selected the same style and brand used in state parks.

With all of those helping hands, Michael's sanctuary garden was completed for the most part by the end of the work weekend.

From there, he spent time putting the paperwork together and making his presentation to troop elders.

This has been a big summer for Michael. Not only did he earn his Eagle Award, but he also graduated from Southern High School in Harwood. He's starting Anne Arundel Community College within the next few weeks.

He adds that to his growing list of accomplishments, among them People to People Ambassador, church youth basketball coach, soccer, baseball and basketball player, food pantry volunteer and more.

"I feel like leadership would definitely be the one thing I took away from the experience," Michael said. "And the work ethic," he added.

He said that it also made him feel good that he got to do something for the church.

The new garden is visible from the road as you pass the front of the Edgewater church at 89 West Central Ave.

Ten-year-old Eric LeBow of Edgewater got to throw out the first pitch at last Sunday's Bowie Baysox game against the Portland Seadogs at the Baysox Stadium in Prince George's County. Tammy LeBow, Eric's mother, said that she got a call from the Baysox because they wanted to have someone throw out the first pitch for Autism Awareness Night. Tammy is the facilitator ofa parents' autism group that meets at Mayo Elementary School one night a month.

"We have a support group of parents from south county," Tammy said. "We started meeting about four years ago," she said.

Tammy is the leader of the group, although they also have a social worker who regularly attends. In addition, the group also hosts guest speakers.

Tammy's son wasn't diagnosed until he was 5. She said that getting information was the hardest part, and she credits meeting other parents with helping her navigate the challenges of parenting an autistic child.

"While there is a lot of literature available, sometimes having another parent share their experience is more helpful," Tammy said, noting that sometimes parents of autistic children don't have a lot of time for reading.

The group has in total about 30 members, although on any given night anywhere from five to a dozen show up.

The Baysox contributed $3 to autism research for every designated ticket purchased for the Aug. 16 game.

Tammy said that when the team called, they were looking for a high functioning child to throw out the first pitch. She thought her son would enjoy it and not be too frightened by the crowd.

"Eric got a charge out of it, he was ecstatic to be able to have a chance to do it," Tammy said.

Eric was one of three autistic boys who got to go to the mound on Sunday.

"It was a real honor … and a lot of fun," Eric said after the experience.

For parents interested in joining the autism support group, contact TammyLeBow@verizon.net. The group will solidify their monthly meeting schedule once the school year gets underway.

London Towne community hosts full week of activities

2009-08-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

CJ Jobe, 3, gets his arm painted by Donna Cunningham while Kamryn Lee, 3, waits. The children were participants at Birthday Bash, part of a weeklong celebration for London Towne Community Awareness Week. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 08/20/09

For the past 30 years, the London Towne community in Edgewater has hosted a weeklong series of events that organizers call London Towne Community Awareness Week.

Most of the events are held at the community hall on Mayo Road, or at one of the community's five beaches on the South River.

The week kicked off with a fishing contest on Saturday and a community flea market. On Sunday there was a pet show in community hall, followed by a parade down Mayo Road on Monday.

The procession made its way from Edgewater Elementary, located at the northwestern corner of the development, to Londontown Road, which is near the southwestern end.

The parade included London Towne resident entries and others like antique fire trucks from the local volunteer fire department as well as participation of local businesses. Among the local business participants this year were Slater's Dance Studio and South River Martial Arts. Once the parade ends, the participants and audience disperse to the community hall for games, refreshments and awards.

On Tuesday they hosted a birthday party for the children under age 12.

Volunteers have games like musical chairs and hula hoops, plus face painting and cupcakes. Midway through the celebration they sing "Happy Birthday" to the London Towne community.

Lindsay Wells and her sister Farrah Mohler were in charge of the birthday bash this year. They've been coming to the event since they were kids, and have been involved in organizing it or volunteering since they were teenagers. Both are in their 30s now, and took over hosting as homage to their mother, Cheryl Wells, who for years has been very involved in the London Towne community.

The elder Wells was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments. She was unable to attend, which made the two sisters even more deter--mined to pull off a fun event for the children.

Oran Czajkowski, 11, was there with his mom, Susan King, and his best friend Michael Long, 10. "This event is great, it rocks," Oran said.

King, a resident of the community for 25 years, said that the activities they do every year are great for the kids.

"It takes someone special to come out here with all these little kids and do all of these activities," King said.

Later in the week, the boys said that they are looking forward to the bike race, the youth dance and the volleyball tournament.

The community as an organized entity, dates to 1939 when the Maryland General Assembly designated London Towne as a special assessment district. Current U.S. Census data puts the number of homes at over 3,000 with over 7,500 residents.

Shore Drive, a winding 2-mile road that hugs the shoreline of the South River, borders the community on the east. Each of the community's five beaches are located along Shore Drive. Some of the beaches have a spot for swimming, while others have a boat ramp or just picnic benches and docks.

The houses in the community range from older summer cottages to modern three-story architecture. There are abandoned properties and beautifully landscaped English-style gardens. There are boats parked in practically every other driveway.

Playgrounds dot the community at not only the beaches, but on other parcels of common property.

Yesterday a senior's luncheon was held and at 6:30 p.m. today, the community will hold its annual volleyball tournament and potluck supper. Each of the five beaches sends a volleyball team to the tournament.

Tomorrow at 3 p.m., the community hosts the children's bicycle contest and parade from Beach 3 to Beach 5 along Shore Drive. Later in the evening, there is a youth dance for children aged 8 to 13.

On Saturday, the annual canoe and kayak race at Beach 5 starts the festivities for the day at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Ramblin' Raft Race at 11 a.m.

Farrah Mohler said that in the past she has seen rafts made out of all kinds of things, including beer kegs tied together and one made out of children's arm floaties attached to a wooden door. "It's a lot of fun," Mohler said.

The festivities continue on Saturday with a sand sculpture contest. Later in the evening, at 8 p.m., the Live, Local Bands concert showcases local musicians for an $8 admission.

The week of fun wraps on Sunday when the fishing tournament comes to an end and the community hosts the Bull Roast/Shrimp Feast where the winners of various awards for community service are announced.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Deale Farmer's Market doing good business Thursdays at church site

2009-08-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

Jim Frost of Deale buys fresh tomatoes from Elizabeth Wilkerson at the Deale Farmer’s Market on Thursday. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 08/13/09

The Deale Farmer's Market opened about four weeks ago in the parking lot of the Cedar Grove United Methodist Church. The half-dozen local farmers are there from 3 to 6 p.m. every Thursday until Oct. 29.

Gail Wilkerson is one of the founding farmers operating out of the Deale location. Her family farm in Tracys Landing has been in operation for seven decades. They sell their produce themselves at the farmer's market in Deale and also at the Annapolis farmer's market on Riva Road on Saturdays.

On a recent Thursday, Gail had a nice variety displayed: beans, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, corn, melons, cucumbers, cabbage, beets, tomatoes and squash, as well as fresh bunches of zinnias.

At the neighboring stall, Bill Morris of Deep Cove Farm in Churchton had about a dozen different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. There were fat yellow and orange Brandywines, deep purple Cherokees and white and black plum tomatoes. Deep Cove also grows peppers, both spicy - like habaneros, Anaheim and jalapenos - and sweet in unusual colors like white and purple.

The customers at the Deale market are a mix of old and young.

"In the Deale market, a lot of our customers are older … they think the homegrown varieties are better," Gail said. "We have basically local people who are coming and appreciate local fruits and vegetables," she said.

Norman Marshall is a Deale native who has been coming to the farmer's market in Deale "from day one."

"I come here because it's convenient. I used to raise it myself, but now I come here," Norman said.

Shelly Schild of Churchton brought her friend Rhonda Oros of Houston, who was in town visiting for the week. They were perusing different kinds of tomatoes from Bill's stand. They took their time listening to Bill describe the different flavors associated with each tomato. Then they carefully reviewed the quality of each and made their selection.

Since all of Bill's tomatoes are the same price, they were able to mix and match from a couple different types of tomatoes.

"Whenever I come here for a visit, I make her take me to the farm market for these tomatoes," Rhonda said. "He has a nice variety of heirlooms."

With their tomatoes all bagged up, the two women were ready for dinner. Shelly had earlier bought some fresh mozzarella cheese and basil.

"We're planning on a Caprisi salad for dinner tonight," Shelly said as they headed for their car.

Down the line of farmers Frank Gouin of Up A Krik Farm was selling peaches and nectarines. He sells those through July and August. Come September, he'll switch over to persimmons until he sells out. Frank also sells some of his daughter's homemade jams and jellies.

He had a little sample tray set out with blackberry-rhubarb, raspberry-rhubarb and an interesting blend of peaches and habanero peppers called "Radioactive Peach."

That last one definitely isn't for the faint-hearted jelly connoisseur.

Frank also sells his fruit to other, independent farm stand vendors along Route 2 in south county, but he said he has been participating in the Deale Farmer's Market since it opened eight yearsago.

For the farmers, it is a way to get the food to consumers in the freshest possible condition. For the local shopper, it is a way to stay connected to the source of their food.

The trend to "buy local" may or may not be a help to the farmers at the Deale Farmer's Market each Thursday, but it certainly isn't hurting. Last Thursday, the weather was hot and sticky, but business was brisk.

Gail said that the farmers get started with their plantings toward the end of March in preparation for a July opening of the market.

"In spring, you start plowing the fields back, and then during the growing season, it's sunup until sundown," Gail said.

This spring there was a lot of rain, so many local farmers lost their early corn crops and beans. "Some rotted or washed out of the ground," Gail said.

But after the initial bad luck, things greatly improved.

"Right now, the corn is really good," Gail said. "We've always been known for our corn," she added.

Gail, her husband Eldridge, daughter Elizabeth and the rest of the farmers at the market will be on site at the corner of Deale Road and Deale-Churchton Road until the end of October.

Stop by - your taste buds will be glad you did.

Around South County: Chesapeake Pride Festival comes to Mayo Beach Park

2009-08-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

Four-year-old Bubba May, left, and his brother Bradley, 3, and their mom, Debbie, work on crafts at the Chesapeake Pride Festival at Mayo Beach Park last Saturday. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 08/06/09

The Chesapeake Pride Festival hosted its ''Gay by the Bay'' party Saturday at Mayo Beach Park.

The annual event is spearheaded by the Metropolitan Community Church of the Chesapeake, a nondenominational Protestant church that operates out of the Friends Meeting House in Annapolis. The Rev. Wayne Schwandt founded the church in 1998.

The pride festival has been an annual event for 10 years, but for the first six years, it was basically a church picnic at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

Four years ago, Schwandt and his crew decided to make it a real festival. They decided to expand the offerings and venue. The first year of the larger festival happened at Historic Londontown and Gardens in Edgewater; then the next two years it was held at the county fairgrounds in Crownsville. This year it was held during the day on the banks of the bay in Mayo.

At this year's festival, they were happy to have received a special proclamation from Gov. Martin O'Malley declaring Aug. 1, "Chesapeake Pride Day."

Adri Eathorne sits on the organizing committee for the event. She's been involved for all ten years, both while it was a picnic, and now that it is a festival.

In all, the festival lures over 500 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender participants from Annapolis and the surrounding area. They come to enjoy a day of music, dance and family fun.

"Our goal is to create a safe space for just one day,'' Adri said. "Here in Anne Arundel County, the gay community is so invisible - the festival is a way to have a day of community," she said.

The party was split amongst two sound stages, the Beach Stage and the Pavilion Stage. On the stage near the beach, bands and single musicians played family-friendly rock and acoustic music. Inside the pavilion, where entrance was only for those over 18, female impersonators were presided over by Miss Chesapeake Pride, "Stormy Vain" who acted as master of ceremonies.

A mix of couples and families wandered the grounds, listening to music, and letting the children play.

Cynthia and Cynthia Thomas, who recently married, brought their daughter Tori, 8. The three of them ran the children's activities booth. They had crayons, markers, craft foam and velvet crosses that children could color. Both Cynthias are members of MCC, and have run the children's activities at the pride festival for the past two years. Tori found families with small children and recruited them to play at the children's table.

Tori brought Debbie May and Jan Cottrell's three boys, Ethan, 5, Bubba, 4, and Bradley, 3, to the table to color. Debbie and Jan came down from Harper's Ferry, W.Va., for the day - they have family in the area. Ethan and Bubba were interested in coloring, but Bradley only had eyes for the play structure. Debbie sat coloring with the older two while Jan chased the youngest around.

"I like to meet people and find friends that I haven't seen in years," Jan said. "Sometimes I meet up with people I didn't even know were gay," she said.

Others sunned on the beach or swam. Visitors to the exhibits picked up information and bought items from the over three dozen vendors on site. There were bead and fabric crafters, a landscaper selling plants and several political booths.

Among those handing out literature were Zina Pierre, an Annapolis mayoral candidate, and the young Democrats and the Anne Arundel Green Party.

In the parking lot, twodozen cars sat parked at a cruise-in car show, hosted by the "Straight 8s" of the Lambda Car Club. Earlier in the day, they rallied in Crofton, then caravanned to the site. In all, there are about 175 members in the club - whose main commonality is a special interest in cars.

"They don't even have to have a car," said Milton Stern, president of the club.

Throughout the day, the organizers handed out gift certificates to the Metro Diner as door prizes. At 6 p.m., the festival wound to a close. Now organizers have a month to rest before they begin planning next year's event.

The South County Dance Conservatory got back from the New Prague Dance Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. The festival took place from July 1-7, and included over 400 dancers from around the world.

The company won several awards at the festival, including the Dancing Hand Award, and third prize for Dance Costume. Travis Peck received recognition for Extraordinary Junior Talent and Lianne Clark received a Talent of Dance Award.

Other local dancers on the trip included Susan Ahmuty, Allison Bobby, Eva Brent, Charlene Ferensic and Susan Savage. School directors Ken Armstrong and J.Davis Hobdy traveled along with faculty members Heidi Menocal and Cathy Oliver.

All of the dancers in the company live in south county or on the Eastern Shore and rehearse at the Conservatory in Deale.

Today join the West/Rhode Riverkeeper for free kayaking, beginning at 5 p.m. at Discover Village, 4800 Atwell Road in Shady Side. They provide PFDs, kayaks and paddles. For more information, visit www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org.

The Davidsonville United Methodist Church's 2009 Peach Festival is this Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm, at the church on Central Avenue. They will have peach pies, jam, cobbler, peaches and ice cream, fresh peaches in bags and baskets and more. BBQ food and drinks will also be available. For more information, visit www.dumc.net.

Mayo United Methodist Church is sponsoring a soccer camp at Commodore Mayo Kiwanis Hall, 1133 Carrs Wharf Road, Edgewater. Camp begins Monday at 6 pm and runs for two hours each night of the week for one week. $30 per child, middle school-aged children only.

Camp is led by Tim Williams, the JV Boys soccer coach at South River High School. The camp is being sponsored by the church. To enroll, call 410-798-6110.

In a story about the National Night Out last week, it was reported that LeRoy Battle was the recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal. To clarify, he was one of 16,000 to 19,000 men who participated in the "Tuskegee Experience" and received the medal as a collective award. In addition, the Anne Arundel County Police Department brought the helicopter to the event, not the Maryland State Police.

Around South County: Local businessman creates displays to attract business

2009-08-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — For The Capital
TOP: Ted Kramer shows off one of his mannequins in the back room of his Edgewater hardware store. Kramer creates interesting displays on the roof of his building each month.
BOTTOM: The displays on the roof of ATW Hardware in Edgewater are part of a marketing scheme to attract customers to the store. This month a fun house clown chases down a seemingly-frightened little man.

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital

Published 07/30/09

Many towns have their landmarks - Italy's Pisa has its Leaning Tower, St. Louis has its Arch, and Edgewater has, well, Edgewater has a lively and ever-changing "art" installation on the top of the local hardware store.

Ted Kramer is the owner of the ATW Hardware store, which sits at the corner of Pike Ridge and Solomons Island roads. He's been in business for more than two decades at the same location. He's watched the Edgewater community change over the years. His clientele used to be mostly blue-collar workers; now he said it's more "people who hire the work out."

The empty forests and fields down the road from his store have been converted into strip malls and drive-through fast food restaurants.

In an effort to attract some attention to his establishment, he decided about three years ago to put up a scarecrow on the roof of his low-slung, flat-roofed building. It was around Easter then, so just for fun he added some bunny ears to the scarecrow.

South county residents and customers seemed to like it, so after a few weeks he changed the display to something else. Over the next few years, he's had some interesting, and bizarre, scenes play out on the top of his store.

For example, a man dressed like the late journalist Hunter S. Thompson holding a rat over a pinned-down pirate; a cigar smoking zombie and a monkey together riding a tandem bicycle; a snowman driving a sleigh with a leggy mannequin popping out of Santa's toy sack; a zombie with a rainbow Afro wig presiding over a half dozen female mannequin legs sticking up from the roofline (torsos removed); and of course, the zombie with bug sprayer aiming the nozzle toward a very large hornet nest.

Right now, the roof is adorned with a mad funhouse clown chasing a smaller man, seemingly off the front of the building.

"I've been dealing here for years, the displays are very clever - they're amusing and eye catching," said Ray Manogue of Edgewater, a regular customer at the store.

Ted's son Sam said that people at the stoplight in front of the store are always looking over. Ted added that they often see people pointing from their cars and taking pictures.

Eric Rolens is one of the managers at the Goodyear tire store next to ATW. He said that he uses the store as a landmark when giving directions to his store. Eric tells customers, "we're beside the guy who puts the display on the roof."

"They always know where it is," Eric said.

Ted's wife Laura said that they get items for their displays from all over. "We hit yard sales and people give us stuff," Laura said. The mad funhouse clown is from a local party store. They saw it and bought it on the spot. An upcoming display of a King Kong-type gorillawas gifted to them from Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville.

The staff at Homestead made it for one of their festivals a few years back and it had been sitting in a warehouse collecting dust. They were going to throw it out, but someone at Homestead contacted Ted, who of course thought it would be a great addition to his collection of zombie men, monkeys, and mannequins.

The giant gorilla hand and head are covered in plastic at the back of the store where Ted is slowly gathering the components for his next installation.

In 2007, one of his displays was stolen right off the roof. The story ran on the front page of The Capital. The theft inspired Ted to do a milk carton "Missing Man" display seeking the return of his man, and then after that an alien abduction scene.

"After a while I almost didn't want to get him back because I'd had this idea for the alien," Ted said.

"Even when he's tired of it, the customers keep him going," Laura said.

"They try to give me ideas, but I like doing my own thing," Ted said.

The interesting installations on the roof go along with Ted's business philosophy and the mood of the store. There's no Top 40 or piped in background music. Ted hooks his iPod up to the store stereo and plays an eclectic mix of blues.

When pieces to his display aren't in use, they double as decor in the store interior. A huge hornet nest hangs in one corner, a swinging monkey in another, and around back a mannequin sits atop the Pepsi machine with a giant stuffed snake coiled around her neck.

Ted likes to think that a small business like his is uniquely positioned to be dynamic to meet customer needs. He's had to do that a lot. He said that when Kmart opened, he lost his painting and garden supply end of the business, but that the addition of Johnson Lumber up the street helped him because they refer people who need items they don't carry.

"We still cater a lot to the trades people," Ted said.

Marie Willis is a longtime customer from Harwood. She popped in for a few hard-to-find items last Saturday. "This place is like an old-time hardware store - if you can't find it here, you won't find it anywhere," Marie said.

Anyone interested in seeing the displays they may have missed over the years can visit the MySpace page where Ted posts photos of his unique art installations. Use the keywords, "the man ATW hardware."

Send me your south county news to AroundSoCo@verizon.net.

Shady Side will host National Night Out

2009-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For The Capital

Published 07/30/09

Shady Side will play host to the 16th annual National Night Out event on Tuesday, with free food and drinks, live bands, the Maryland State Police helicopter, dignitaries, luminaries and community residents.

The National Association of Town Watch "night out" for citizens in communities that participated in neighborhood watch programs 26 years ago.

The point was to reclaim neighborhoods from gangs, drug dealers and other criminals after dark. The hope was that if enough decent citizens came out, the crooks would be the ones staying indoors.

Fast forward to 2008, when NATW registered 15,000 communities from all 50 states, plus military bases worldwide. In total, over 37 million people participated in last year's National Night Out.

They're hoping for similar numbers in 2009.

In Anne Arundel County, Annapolis has an event at City Dock, and in south county, residents of Shady Side boasted a turnout last year of over 500 people. That's impressive since the 2000 U.S. Census puts the community's population at just over 5,500.

Mohan Grover, known to locals as "the unofficial mayor of Shady Side," and owner of Renno's Market on Shady Side Road began hosting the event in 1993. He had a couple of helpers from the community, namely Kathleen Thompson and Debra Mackell.

The three served together on the Churchton-Shady Side Planning Action Committee, and kept in touch even after their group's work was completed.

Now Grover and his two accomplices count on a number of churches, businesses and community leaders to assist them in keeping theevent going.

"Most of the churches around here provide volunteers," Grover said.

The evening typically starts off with the Maryland State Police helicopter landing at 5 p.m. In addition, local fire, police and EMT show up with their vehicles and in uniform to mingle with community residents.

Over the years, the planners have also enlisted the county departments of health and aging to have booths as well.

"It is a community event - we like people to know each other, to mingle with the police department, to know about crime and to reinforce community policing," Grover said.

"It is a day of fun for everybody, brings people together and they get to know each other - these are the qualities of a good community," he said.

While this year's donations fell a little flat, owing to the sluggish economy, Grover said he is prepared to help make up the difference so that everyone can come out, enjoy a meal and have fun with their family.

The night also includes awards. This year there will be an award for the volunteers of the Lula G. Scott Community Center, the location of Shady Side's National Night Out. The center is one of the "Rosenwald Schools."

In 1912, Julius Rosenwald, then-president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, was approached by Booker T. Washington to help provide educational assistance to African Americans in the south - many of whom were excluded from a public school education. The Lula G. Scott facility was one of over 5,300 schools in 15 states that Rosenwald helped build.

As schools became integrated, the buildings often fell into disrepair, and Lula G. Scott was no exception.

Grover said that he wanted to give the volunteers an award because not only have they always let the National Night Out use the facility, but the volunteers were instrumental in putting the building back together. "It was in very bad shape a few years back," Grover said.

They hosted fundraisers and dinners and eventually got the building restored. In 2003, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 2004, it was rededicated by county officials upon the completion of its restoration.

The organizers also will give an award named after Tuskegee Airman Leroy Battle, an author and Congressional Gold Medal of Honor recipient, who lives in south county. The Leroy Battle Award is given to a local community member who has gone above and beyond on behalf of the south county community.

"It is in honor of Mr. Battle, and he gives the award - if it isn't too hot out," Grover said.

Finally, local Boy Scouts who typically clean up after the event also are receiving an award. "When the Scouts clean up you don't have any evidence that 600 people ate here," Grover said.

There will be prizes and activities for the children and a raffle for a new bicycle. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Owensville Primary Care Clinic. Tickets for the raffle are available at the Owensville Clinic in West River and at Renno's Market in Shady Side. They cost $1 each or six tickets for $5.

Music will be provided by the Shady Side Sour Notes, a band led by Shady Side local Bruce Blevins. The band's genre is a mix of bluegrass, country and gospel. "We've been playing this event for about seven years. It's great for the people to come out, they get a lot to eat and of course to meet with the police in the community," Blevins said.

Community representatives including Chief of Police James Teare Sr. and others plan to attend along with local firemen, police officers, EMTs, church leaders and business owners.

This year's event starts at 6 p.m. at the Lula G. Scott Community Center, 6243 Shady Side Road, Shady Side. It's free and should be fun for the entire family.

Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.

Around South County: Free kayaking program resumes at Discovery Village in Shady SideAround South County: Free kayaking program resumes at Discovery V

2009-08-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — For The Capital From left, Mike Bedard, 14, Joseph Smith, 14, Shawn Peterson, 13, Noah Blacker, 13, and Jesse Peterson, 15, take a break from unloading kayaks at the West/Rhode Riverkeeper’s free kayak program in Shady Side. The boys are members of Boy Scout Troop 853 of Shady Side.

By Mitchelle Stephenson
Published in The Capital 07/23/2009

The West/Rhode Riverkeeper is once again hosting free kayaking in front of Discovery Village in Shady Side. For those who show up, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month, volunteers from the riverkeeper's office (and others) will provide the boat, life jacket and paddles.

This year, the riverkeeper staff has help from Boy Scout Troop 853 of Shady Side.

Kelly Myers, the volunteer coordinator for the West/Rhode Riverkeeper, said the boys had volunteered to come out in two shifts.

While Kelly registered the families, the Scouts helped fit life jackets and get the boats off of the trailers and into the water.

At one point, one of the boats awaiting paddlers on the shore drifted off, and one of the Scouts jumped into action, securing a kayak and paddle and hustling onto the water to rescue the wayward craft.

The Scouts working the first shift were Joseph Smith, 14, Shawn Peterson, 13, Jesse Peterson, 15, Noah Blacker, 13, Mike Bedard, 14, and Daniel Bedard, 16.

Janeen Smith, one of the troop elders, said that the troop had helped a little last year, but this year decided to keep a schedule. Now the troop helps twice a month.

It was pretty busy last Thursday; they'd let out nearly all 20 boats by 6:30 p.m., with cars pulling up every few minutes, most with families.

"People who are out on the water have more appreciation for it," Kelly said.

The Riverkeeper's office presents the kayaking opportunity because a lot of people, even those who live in Galesville and Shady Side and other waterfront communities, don't have access to the water.

The Riverkeeper is borrowing the boats from Adam Hewison, the founder of Discovery Village. He bought the boats a few years back, but didn't have enough volunteers to run the program regularly.

"Our goal is to get people out on the water," Kelly said.

It is entirely free. People are just asked to fill out a waiver, and then they're able to take the boats out for an hour or so.

J.P. Cullember, 6, came out with his mom and dad, Erika and Tony, and his little brother Anthony, 2. They paddled around for a little while and when they returned, J.P. had exciting news to report: "We saw a snake!" J.P. said. "It was on top of the water and it swam away," he said.

"We've been out three times, but this is the first time we took the little one," Erika said, pointing to Anthony.

"It's great that they let people experience being on the water," Tony added.

The Boy Scouts dutifully help people in and out of the boats, and bring the boats down to the water, all the while joking with one another. "It's just being outside - it's really nice," Mike Bedard said.

The boys are practicing their paddling for a trip next year to Sea Base, a Boy Scout High Adventure camp in the Florida Keys. There, they can only get to and from their base camp - an island a mile from the mainland - by canoe.

Nancy Hood and Bill Kindwa came down for the evening from Severn. They were standing in their life jackets, paddles in hand, waiting for their boat to be taken down to the water by the Scouts.

As the sun hung low in the sky and a thick haze all but obscured the normally clear view of the Bay Bridge, the only sounds from the shore were laughter, a few bird calls and the ''tink tink'' of paddles hitting the water.

The Riverkeeper will continue offering the free program the first and third Thursdays of the month through September.

For more information, visit www.westrhoderiver keeper.org.

Jacquelyn Brady of Edgewater reports that her daughter, Tegan, 8, recently used her birthday as an opportunity to help the neonatal intensive care unit at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

When Tegan was born seven weeks premature, she spent 10 days in the NICU at AAMC.

"She was one of the biggest babies there and had a comparatively short stay," Jacquelyn said.

The NICU gave Tegan a Beanie Baby that she still has: her "lucky parrot."

Instead of birthday gifts from friends, Tegan recently requested Beanie Baby donations. In mid-July, she'd collected 46 of the stuffed critters to donate back to the hospital.

"Residents of the area are so lucky we have a great NICU at AAMC," Jacquelyn said.

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Around South County: Summer program keeps kids reading; Bastille Day in Edgewater

2009-08-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Mitchelle Stephenson — For The Capital Michelle Sanderson sits with her sons Alex, 5, and Aaron, 4, at the Edgewater branch library last Thursday. They enjoyed a foot-tapping performance by Footworks Percussive, a local dance troupe.

By Mitchelle Stephenson
Published in The Capital 07/16/2009

Over the course of any recent summer, county libraries sign up an average 15,000 Anne Arundel County children for their summer reading program. Both the Edgewater branch and the South County branch in Deale play a major role in keeping that number so high.

The county public library system is part of a consortium of libraries across 40 states that create and participate in a summer reading program that encourages children to keep up their reading skills during the 10-week summer break. They encourage kids to read by having giveaways and bringing free entertainment into their library meeting spaces.

This year the two south county branches have already hosted a juggling act, a dance troupe and a puppet show. They each have one more performance by Steven's Puppets on Tuesday in Edgewater and on Thursday in Deale.

Last week, about 100 boys and girls attended the Footworks Percussive Dance performance at the Edgewater branch.

Footworks is an Anne Arundel County-based production, showcasing a variety of dance styles.

The shows don't have a high production value - which nobody seems to mind. The air conditioning in the meeting room in Edgewater has been broken for months, and there isn't a stage for the performers to use. But the dancers were creative, using four upended conference tables - two on either side - to screen off a changing area. They had a simple stage - a large piece of varnished plywood - centered in front of a large, red banner advertising their name.

The room was full to capacity, and the show got off to a quick start. After an introduction by library manager Marc Gluck, fiddle player Sue Tice got the music going by playing a jig. Three dancers, Rebecca Northrop, Mark Schatz and Eileen Carson, added a great percussive element with a minute-long tap dancing routine.

After the initial dance, the show went on for about 45 minutes, with the dancers either individually or as a group performing "hambone," Appalachian clogging, African gumboot dancing, and call-and-answer songs with full audience participation.

Not only were the 60 or so children in the audience tapping their feet and clapping their hands to the rhythms, but most of the 40 or so moms and caregivers in the room were finding their groove as well.

Eileen, one of the Footworks performers, said that this is the first year they've been involved in the library program. "We've had a great turnout, we've had people come out at one library and then we see them again at another. They're library hopping," Eileen said.

Laurie Hayes, the public relations manager for the library, said that in all about 20,000 citizens attend the performances each year.

Laurie said that a committee of library staff begins the planning process at the end of summer. In the fall, they attend a performer's showcase sponsored by the Anne Arundel County Public School system. There they get an idea of what kinds of acts are available in our area.

By the beginning of the year, they are making decisions about which acts they want to hire and arranging the schedule. They typically bring in five acts, with each performing two or sometimes three shows at each of the 15 branches.

Some acts return, others are new. Stevens Puppets is a perennial favorite, and John Hadfield, whose 2009 show "Monkeys in the House" is in the lineup this year, has been involved in the program in past years. Three years ago, he brought his Science Show to area children.

"Our audiences in Anne Arundel have been great," John said. He is a year-round performer, doing school assemblies during the school year and library acts in the summer.

Trinadi Quattlebaum, 7, of Shady Side, came to the Footworks show with her great grandmother, Annie Tolson, and her brother Kingson, 5.

They'd earlier seen John's "Monkeys in the House" act - a magic, music and juggling performance.

"I liked the bird that was talking in that show," Trinadi said. She said she likes coming to the library shows because they're fun.

Check the library Web site at www.aacpl.net for the final week of performances.

About two dozen members of Cercle Francais, a social club of French-speakers who meet monthly, got together in Edgewater on Tuesday to celebrate Bastille Day.

The group has been meeting each month for over 30 years. It started as a way for a couple of French expatriates to get together to speak their native tongue. It has grown to include Americans who have lived overseas, or who speak French because of their jobs.

Pauline Czartoriska, one of the founding members, was born and raised in France and emigrated to the United States. She worked asa Realtor in the Annapolis area and, over the course of her career, met other French-speaking women in the area and organized gatherings to meet as a social club.

Pauline has since returned to France, but the club she founded lives on.

The group, all women, usually meet one Wednesday a month for lunch, during which they typically have a topic to discuss - sometimes politics, sometimes an article or a book. They take turns hosting the group at each other's homes. A couple of times a year they get together to celebrate holidays, like Christmas or on July 14, Bastille Day - the French Independence celebration.

They don't reenact the storming of the Bastille, but they do enjoy a potluck dinner, camaraderie and, after a few glasses of wine, a chanson (song) or two. On these occasions, the husbands are invited - and expected to sing.

The Tuesday gathering was held at a home on Beard's Creek in Edgewater. Hosts Stan and Myriam Norris set out four tables on their lawn overlooking the water. Herons dived for fish in the background as the conversations got underway, "Bon jour!" the ladies said as they greeted one another.

The husbands mostly greeted each other in English.

The current president of the group, Lynn Lounsberry, is an American, but has her degree in French and lived in France in the '70s. She currently teaches French at the Naval Academy Preschool in Annapolis.

Lynn said that they keep the group's membership to about two dozen members. "We meet in each others homes, so we try to keep it small," she said.

The small number also helps keep the conversations from getting out of control.

"We have French, British, Alsatian, Luxembourgers, Turkish and, of course, Americans in our group," Lynn said.

The group's primary objective is to allow members to speak French. For the native speakers, it means relaxing into their first language. But for the Americans who lived overseas or studied French in college, using conversational French is critical to maintaining proficiency.

Cheri Wendt-Taczak is a Cercle Francais member who previously worked for an international medical company. "The club is great for keeping up my French," she said.

Host Myriam Norris has been a member of the group since 2001. She found out about it from the librarian at St. John's College. She made an inquiry and was readily accepted into the group. Myriam is an expatriate Luxembourger who married an American.

"It's really nice, all different nationalities, and every woman has a different story," she said.

Liliane Foster came to America from Alsace, a region of France sometimes known for its German-speaking inhabitants, although she speaks French. She came to the U.S., married an American and settled here over 20 years ago.

"I speak English in my day to day life, and so I get to come here, speak French and relax," Liliane said.

Once the pate and filet de porc (pork tenderloin) were served, and the sun had set, song sheets were passed out and everyone stood to sing while facing a French flag that was gently waving in the wind.

Although there were a few red scarves and a few bottles of champagne, there were no fireworks lit, and no military parades to be seen. The Bastille Day celebrants of Cercle Francais were content to speak French, eat French and enjoy each other's company.

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Around South County: Churchton Girl Scouts earn Silver Award by helping SCAN

2009-08-02T06:44:00.001-07:00

The nine Girl Scouts from Troop 4074 who earned their Silver Award are, from left, Miranda Tyler, Bailey Lester, Victoria Smith, Mary Hilley, Brittani Savoy, Kathleen Flanagan, Erin Hook and Sarah Peters. Not pictured is Lauren Offer.

By Mitchelle Stephenson
Published in The Capital 07/09/2009

The South County Assistance Network, which operates out of St. James' Episcopal Church in Lothian, serves an average of 169 families per month. The group, staffed by volunteers from 36 participating churches, provides a bag of groceries each week to south county families who are having trouble making ends meet.

With the downturn in the economy, SCAN volunteers have noticed an increase in new families coming to the network each month seeking assistance - sometimes as many as two dozen new families a month.

So early this year, when a group of local Girl Scouts, the cadets of Troop 4074, based out of Franklin United Methodist Church in Churchton, offered to provide additional help to SCAN, their support was welcomed. At the time, the nine girls had already been working toward their Silver Award, the second highest honor in Girl Scouting.

For the award, the 13- and 14-year-olds, are required to earn badges and take on projects that demonstrate leadership. Another is to take on a significant community service project.

In all, the girls needed to spend 40 hours each on the project, either with the group, or individually.

Troop leader Kathy Flanagan said that over the years, the girls had worked with SCAN, collecting food donations and volunteering. Marrying the effort of the girls to earn their Silver Award with a project for SCAN seemed natural.

"The girls learned that SCAN clients often request personal care items in addition to the other staples," Kathy said. Personal care items are something that SCAN doesn't typically provide.

So the girls decided to create kits containing a variety of personal care items.

Kathleen Flanagan, 14, is Kathy's daughter and one of the Scouts.

"Most of my hours were spent with group activities: raising money, shopping for what we needed, and bagging the items," Kathleen said.

The girls hosted two bake sales, placed donation boxes at a local church, held a Chick-Fil-A fundraiser, and solicited contributions from other local Girl Scout troops.

Kathleen noted that they bought items from the local dollar store with the money they raised.

"We bought toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, razors, soap and deodorant," Kathleen said.

Once the items were purchased, the girls gathered at SCAN at the end of June to create individual care packages containing one of each item. They put the care package kits into the prepared bags containing the weekly grocery deliveries.

The girls not only collected enough to fill over 155 personal care kits, but they also gathered another 20 bags of miscellaneous items that SCAN can distribute in the future as needed.

"I thought it was a lot of work, but in the end, it was worth it because I was able to help a lot of people who aren't as fortunate as we are," said Erin Hook, 14.

In all the girls have been together as Scouts for six years. Four years ago, they earned their Bronze Award by creating a garden at Franklin United Methodist Church.

The nine girls will bridge to seniors - the next rank in their Scout careers - at the end of the summer. At that time, they will officially take possession of their Silver Award.

The nine girls are: Miranda Tyler, Bailey Lester, Victoria Smith, Mary Hilley, Brittani Savoy, Kathleen Flanagan, Erin Hook, Sarah Peters and Lauren Offer.

The Shady Side Rural Heritage Society's annual raffle is now underway. The raffle, with a top prize of $5,000, began with ticket sales during the South County Festival on June 13.

This year, there has been a major change in pricing and the prize, owing to recognition of current economic conditions. The tickets this year will cost $5 each. The prize is $5,000.

The winning ticket will be selected at the Society's West River Heritage Day Oyster Festival at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum on Oct. 18. The drawing will take place at 5 p.m.

In all, 2,000 tickets will be sold. This is the 20th year the society has conducted the raffle. The proceeds go toward needed building improvements and operational expenses for the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side.

Tickets are available at the museum, 1418 East West Shady Side Road, and other locations in Shady Side, or by calling 410-867-4486.

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Around South County: Kids learn about the War of 1812

2009-07-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

By Mitchelle Stephenson
For the Capital

During the War of 1812, there was a famous battle in Baltimore, the 1814 "Battle of Fort McHenry." It wasn't really a battle at all - the fort didn't have cannons powerful enough to reach the British warships, so the fire was only incoming.

During the 25-hour bombardment, all the lights in the city were darkened - the only illumination throughout the night came from exploding shells over the star-shaped fort. For citizens in the city, and one now-famous poet, the light from the exploding artillery was the only thing showing the Unites States flag still flying within the confines of the fort.

"And the rocket's red glare/ the bombs bursting in air/ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there," wrote Baltimore resident Francis Scott Key.

The poem was later put to the music of English composer John Stafford Smith's, "The Anacreontic Song." We now know it as our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner."

For two dozen upper elementary-aged children in south county, they'll learn all about Francis Scott Key, the inspiration for his song, and the War of 1812 battles fought locally during an upcoming week-long workshop.

Georgia Ladd, a fourth- grade teacher at Tracey's Elementary School and a Civil War re-enactor on her days off, will be heading up her third annual Children' Summer Series program at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side from July 13 to July 17. The program will include hands-on activities, a visit by a historical interpretor portraying Francis Scott Key, courtesy of the Mary Pickersgill House Museum in Baltimore, and a field trip to the flag museum and Fort McHenry.

Georgia has been coming up with programs for south county children for three years at the Capt. Salem Avery House. Each is a week long, summer day camp.

In 2007, she conducted a "Take Me Out to the Barnyard," program, where the children learned about agriculture in Maryland and took a field trip to the National Colonial Farm in Accokeek.

Last year, the program, "Adventures in Archeology" helped children learn about the science of archeology, and included a day trip to the observation lab at Jefferson Patterson Park in St. Leonard in Calvert County.

Both camps offered hands-on activities for children throughout the week to help them to connect with the concepts being taught.

This year is no different. Georgia's theme is the "Star Spangled Summer" focusing on the War of 1812.

"I want to do hands-on activities, the fun things I don't have time do during the school year," Georgia said.

During the week leading up to their adventure in Baltimore, where they'll visit the Mary Pickersgill House and Fort McHenry, the children will get to immerse themselves in the local history surrounding Maryland's forgotten war. Georgia has painted a map of the Chesapeake Bay onto a room-sized piece of canvas.

"The students will use different boat models to reenact the Battle of the Patuxent," she said.

The students will sew flags in the manner used by Mary Pickersgill, the Baltimore flag maker who sewed the giant Fort McHenry flag that Key wrote about in his famous poem.

The children will also make haversacks, which are the Civil War satchels soldiers and doctors used to carried their rations and provisions.

"We will also examine a Civil War haversack and artifacts brought in from the Maryland Historical Society," Georgia said.

The artifacts will be reproductions, but it will give the children the opportunity to handle the objects. In addition, they'll sample salt pork and hard tack, two staples of a Civil War soldier's diet.

On the grassy waterfront lawn at the Salem Avery House, the children will also "reenact" a battle using water balloons.

"It's usually pretty hot out in July," Georgia said, adding that the museum is air conditioned, and that is usually where the kids want to be during the day.

Interested parents should visit www.shadysidemuseum.org for contact information and details. There is a fee of $60 for members; $70 for non-members, plus an additional materials fee of $7.

The Deale Farmers' Market is open at the Cedar Grove United Methodist Church parking lot from 3 to 6 p.m. every Thursday, beginning today through the end of October at 5965 Deale-Churchton Road. For information, call 410-867-4993.

The Bay Winds 40-piece Concert begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum, 1418 East-West Shady Side Road, in Shady Side. This Fourth of July celebration features the Bay Winds Band, a traditional parade, baking contests and more. Call 410-867-4486 for details.

Revolutionary London Town will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater.

Experience life in the port town during the American Revolution by joining a colonial militia, watching the cannon fire, cooking a meal on an open hearth, and playing colonial games. For more information, Call 410-222-1919.

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Around South County: South county resident explores the many branches of her family tree

2009-07-05T07:52:00.001-07:00

Elinor Thompson shows some of the documents she has collected over the years in her quest to trace her family tree.
Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson — For the Capital

By Mitchelle Stephenson
For the Capital

Elinor Thompson decided about 10 years ago to begin researching her family history. That isn't uncommon. By some accounts, genealogy is the fastest growing hobby, surpassing stamp collecting, quilting and even gardening.

But for Elinor Thompson, who is African American, researching her family's history posed some difficult challenges.

Going back a few generations isn't very hard, recent records are well kept, and oral histories in the first person are relatively easy to come by in her large, extended family.

But going back before the early 1900s becomes tricky for a variety of reasons. In some cases, records have not been well kept, while in other instances records have been lost.

The 1890 U.S. Census records were destroyed by fire. In fact, fire is responsible for many lost records, including fires at black churches, where marriage and death records were often kept.

Whites during the post Civil War-era may have been reluctant or even opposed to accurately recording names and information, and prior to the Civil War, many slave owners catalogued the slaves they owned simply by number, not name.

Even so, Elinor has traced her family lineage to 1795, back to a freed slave, John-Thomas, or possibly Thomas-John Sharps.

Even the names are confusing.

According to Elinor, illiteracy among early 18th century freed slaves was widespread, and some who could read might conceal their skill for fear of losing their property or being beaten for acting above their supposed station.

Sometimes simply mishearing a question or answer led to data being written down incorrectly for posterity.

To conduct her research, Elinor spends several days a week at the Maryland Archives, which she has been doing for years. She scrolls through marriage records, census documents and takes countless photographs of the microfiche images of manumission papers. Manumission papers are documents freed slaves would have had to have in their possession at all times, to prove their right to freedom.

Elinor has so many documents, oral histories and photographs, that she is working on a book, "Tracing Our Sharps Family Roots." It is a compendium of information about African Americans in southern Maryland, and specifically in southern Anne Arundel County.

The book will be available Aug. 1 when the Sharps Historical Celebration takes place at the Knights of Columbus hall in Edgewater.

One of the things that Elinor learned through her research is that slaves in Maryland typically came up from the South. When they arrived, they were often given the surname of their specialty or trade.

"If you were in the field and used a hoe or sickle - that is how the Sharp's name came about," Elinor said.

Elinor said that biracial offspring caused problems in official state and federal records, straining her effort to trace her family's roots. In fact, throughout the colonial era and the 19th century, it was illegal for a white person and a black person to marry and have a child, so sometimes those earlier census takers would simply refuse to record people.

She also noted that since people during that era weren't born in hospitals, it was up to the census takers to detect and record them.

In addition, the recording of a person's race was a matter of judgment on the part of the person writing down the information.

Some of her relatives are listed as Negro, while the same name might be listed somewhere else as Mulatto. A marriage record may differ from a census record, which may differ from a county or church's birth and death records.

Elinor gives the example of George Moreland. The census records show him being born in 1847. Elinor uncovered Anne Arundel County marriage records that show him marrying Fanny Smith in 1867. In that record, he is listed as George Maulding. Also in that record, he is listed as "colored" with a question mark alongside the race designation.

Moreland or Maulding?

"You never know," Elinor said. She continued, "if the census taker had a bad day, or if the person shared the name of a prominent white family in the area - there are a lot of reasons why they didn't want to put the name down."

She tracked the same man to three different birth years: 1847, 1850, and 1851; and three different spellings: Moldland, Moreland and Maulding.

"These are the clues you have to follow to piece the story together," Elinor said.

She focuses her attention one relative at a time. If she tracks down older relatives, she meets with them to get an oral history, recording as much information as she can.

"You go down a branch and find something and chase that down as far back as you can go," Elinor said about her methodology.

She once found a slip of paper for the sale of a plot of land, 53 acres of farmland in an area that is currently off of Sands Road in Lothian. It was purchased in 1913. As she read through the records of the transaction, she found the father's name: Sharps.

Another clue.

But aside from her indoor research, she also takes her family to churches and graveyards throughout Maryland, both on this side of the bay and on the Eastern Shore. Her daughter, Ebony Thompson is 20, and has been going to graveyards "forever," she said.

"I'm mostly humoring her, but then I get interested when we find something," Ebony said.

The ''Tracing Our Sharps Family Roots'' book will be available for sale at the Knight of Columbus hall during the Sharps Historical Celebration family reunion on Aug. 1. There is a $20 advance purchase or $25 fee at the door to get in.

For more information on the Sharps/Moreland/Maulding/Thompson family tree, contact Elinor at tracingourroots@aol.com.

Around South County: A super successful school year ends in south county

2009-07-05T07:50:00.001-07:00

By Mitchelle Stephenson
For the Capital

South county public schools wrapped up a very productive year on June 9.

At Central Elementary School, Principal Jan Haberlein said that highlights of the school year included the passage of Rosa's Law, named for first-grader Rosa Marcellino. The law changes the designation from "mentally retarded" to "intellectually disabled." Another highlight was U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski's visit in April for a roundtable discussion on special education.

In addition, fifth-grader Lauren Graupman was named a Dr. Ben Carson Scholar, and Riva Trace Baptist Church received a county award for their volunteer work to beautify the campus landscaping.

At Davidsonville Elementary, Principal Jean Marie Hofstetter said that she was honored by her school's community service.

"We were number one in the state for the amount of money and food donated to the Harvest for the Hungry," Hofstetter said, crediting the work of parent volunteer Kerry Monroe.

Hofstetter also lauded her students who won at the county science fair. Connor Monroe (son of Kerry), did a project based on fitness results using the Nintendo Wii Fit, while twins Jack and Lillian Stump completed a teeter-totter project.

Hofstetter also loved physical education teacher Lauren Poteet's idea for the school's annual Field Day - basing activities on the CBS reality show "The Amazing Race."

"That was a lot of work to coordinate for 620 students, and she did a beautiful job," Hofstetter said.

At Deale Elementary School, Principal John Noon reported that he was most proud of his faculty and staff for providing "a whole lot of opportunities for the kids outside the curriculum."

Vern Brumfield is Deale's physical education teacher. He not only teaches all of the school's nearly 300 students, he also coaches the dance troupe, runs the 24-game club, and supervises and participates in the school's sport stacking club. His sport stacking club holds state records, by not only students at the school, but also Brumfield himself.

The idea is to stack cups in a pre-determined order: there's the 3-3-3 stack, which is making three pyramids of three cups each, and the 3-6-3 stack. Players begin with their hands on a timer, which starts counting as soon as both hands are lifted off the sensor. The cups are stacked in the right order, then returned to a single stack. It ends when both hands return to the timer. The action is fast, and mesmerizing to watch.

Teachers Cindy Holzworth and Christy McCall started a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Club, after receiving teacher training at NASA. They enlisted nine second- and-third-grade students. The students were tasked with solving a problem by coming up with a robot design, first on paper. Then they had to build the robot, test and troubleshoot their design and modify or correct problems.

"It taught them that not everything works out right the first time," Holzworth said.

Alissa Ferranti was named the Safety Patrol of the year, and was recognized by AAA-Mid-Atlantic after Brumfield nominated her.

At Edgewater Elementary School, the Relay for Life team raised $555 when students paid to tape Principal Barry Fader to the gymnasium wall. The team sold strips of tape for $1 each, then gathered the students in the gymnasium for the "taping" during Field Day in early June.

Fader said that the staff decided to just fundraise for Relay for Life because students and faculty at the school in the past have been afflicted with cancer, and it gave them a singular fundraiser to focus on.

"We've raised over $100,000 in the past six years," Fader said. That is the most for south county schools, and allows Edgewater to hold on to the trophy each year.

But Fader's favorite activity for students was the fall word parade. Each student at the school had to learn a vocabulary word and be that word, in costume, for a parade near Halloween.

One student, Robert Gasterino, a second-grader, had the word, "protagonist." He dressed as Principal Fader in a suit and tie, and had a life-sized mask of Fader that his mom helped him to make.

At Shady Side Elementary School, students held several fundraisers over the course of the year for Alex's Lemonade Stand in honor of second-grader Erin Keenan, whose cancer is now in remission.

The students also got to participate in a weeklong residency program with the "Footworks" percussive dance troupe.

A highlight for many students might have been art teacher Sarah Sheckell's month-long "journey" to Mexico during multicultural month in May.

Each year, Sheckell, along with the school's PTO and the cultural arts teachers, puts together a month of activities centered around a foreign country or region. This year's theme was Mexico.

The teachers developed lessons, highlighted books and DVDs and created social studies projects around the county's heritage and culture. During teacher appreciation week, the PTO served up a Mexican feast to the faculty and staff.

Sheckell said that since two of Shady Side's students, Alfredo Garcia Bererra and Daniel Salomon, are first generation Mexican-Americans, she thought it would be good to have them read the morning announcements during the month.

At the end of Mexico multicultural month, the PTO brought in Maru Montero, a Mexican dance company that presented an assembly that had all of the children on their feet.

Community Day at at Ralph Bunche Community Center starts at 8 a.m. Saturday at the center, 374 Mill Swamp Road in Edgewater. Enjoy a parade, marching band, basketball tournament, vendor tables, clown, food, face painting and horseshoe tournament. For more information, call Glennie Salisbury at 410-279-6101.

The Rockin' for a Reason charity festival begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at Trent Hill Farm and Nursery, 24 Nutwell Road in Lothian. Entertainment includes Mama Jama, Talk is Cheap, Poruzakistin, Michael McHenry's Tribe and Dean Rosenthal and The 4 Piece Rackets. The cost is $30 and the proceeds benefit We Care and Friends. The rain date is June 27. For tickets and sponsorship information, call 410-956-1344 or visit www.exteriorimage.com.

A Summer Solstice Concert at London Town Gardens begins at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Bring a picnic and enjoy the music of Maggie Sansone and Friends. Beverages available for purchase. The cost is $15 per person; $10 for seniors and members. No charge for children under 12. For more information, call 410-222-1919.

Take a Summer Solstice Hike from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Jug Bay's Glendening Nature Preserve in Lothian. Adults are $5; children under 17 are $3. Children should be able to walk up to 3 miles at a moderate pace. Trails are not suited for strollers. For more information, call 410-741-9330.

Correction: Last week's south county column covered the winners from the Scholastic Art and Writing Program. Juliana Mazza, 12, a student at St. Andrew's School in Edgewater, won a regional Gold Key award for her self- portrait "You Rock."

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Around South County: A super successful school year ends in south county

2009-07-05T07:50:00.000-07:00