Shore April 2020 : simplebooklet.com

Proudly Serving the Eastern Shore 1120 Cheston Lane Queenstown MD 3 595 000 Brand new custom contemporary coastal estate designed to take full advantage of its Wye River Waterfront setting and built on 9 8 private acres Located directly across from Wye Island that will never be developed Construction recently finished by Nuttle Builders and designed by a team of architects This 4 bedroom 5 full bath and 2 half bath home is designed for comfortable living and entertaining all on the main level Glenn Sutton m 1 410 507 4370 320 Pond Creek Lane Earleville MD 799 000 Whether it be your home away from home or your full time residence this waterfront property on 14 84 acres is inspirational For sale now and looking for a new owner to inspire Erica Baker m 1 410 919 7019 Trey Rider 4316 Holly Harbor Road P R O U D LY S E RV I N G T H E E AST E R N S H O R E Oxford MD 2 750 000 Beautifully renovated home with water views from every room Complete privacy on a 3 7 acre peninsula with protected pier and sailboat depth water 8 ft A large storage barn with guest quarters above waterside gunite pool mature landscaping quaint vineyard and hunting blind complete this exceptional offering Laura Carney m 1 410 310 3307 Top Row Left 6798 Broad Neck Road Chestertown MD 6 500 000 306 Acres Center 22 S Harrison Street Easton MD 1 400 000 Mason Restaurant Trey Rider Realtor m 1 443 786 0235 trider ttrsir com Middle Row Left 7940 Maiden Point Court Easton MD 2 000 000 Center Lot 15 Travelers Rest Court Easton MD 999 000 3 62 Acres TTR Sotheby s International Realty Brokerage 209 Main Street Annapolis MD 21401 o 1 410 280 5600 Bottom Row Left Lot 22 High Banks Terrace Easton MD 275 000 3 48 Acres Center 203 High Street Cambridge MD 500 000 Right 4480 Bachelors Point Road Oxford MD 1 500 000 3 03 Acres 2020 Sotheby s International Realty Affiliates LLC All Rights Reserved Sotheby s International Realty is a licensed trademark to Sotheby s International Realty Affiliates LLC Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated SIR1 209 Main Street Annapolis MD 21401 o 1 410 280 5600 2020 Sotheby s International Realty Affiliates LLC All Rights Reserved Sotheby s International Realty is a licensed trademark to Sotheby s International Realty Affiliates LLC Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated SIR1

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april 2020 DEPAR TMENTS 8 EDITORS NOTE MASTHEAD 10 SHORE LINES where the stories are 12 PICTURE THIS 14 SHORE TIME The Maryland flag April Fool s Day Croquet 28 20 28 54 62 ART BEAT MORE ON THE SHORE THE WRITTEN SHORE WILD TALES PAINT FOR MYSELF RECLAIMED REFRACTIONS READ LOCAL DREAM LOCAL SPACE INVADERS Plein Air painter Jill Basham The Sea Glass Festival Meet novelist Stephanie Verni By Manning Lee By Tracey F Johns By Dabrianna Green 24 50 58 The growing problem of the predator snakehead fish PROFILE TASTE BUDS HISTORY IT S ALL ABOUT THE ROE EARTH DAY BOMBAY TADKA Rohit Shinde and his new Indian restaurant in Easton Local signals of spring By Kathi Ferguson By Manning Lee 6 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Celebrating the planet for 50 years By Amelia Blades Steward LEFT A tray of assorted sea glass nuggets from Yank Limey at the Eastern Shore Sea Glass Coastal Arts Festival Tackling heart disease on the Eastern Shore PHOTO BY Arden Haley A Talbot County native Dr Jeffrey Etherton knows the creeks and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay like he knows the arteries and vessels of the heart As a cardiologist with the Heart and Vascular Center at UM Shore Regional Health he works in the very place where his mother was a nurse and he is fighting the very disease that took his father s life You better believe this is personal He s out to catch heart disease in this community Because ultimately it s all about saving the lives of his neighbors on the Eastern Shore By Brady Keefe 64 THROUGH THE LENS Sunset through sea glass ON THE COVER To find a physician or service close to home visit umshoreregional org Linsey Hildebrand Class of 2020 The Gunston School Photo by Tracey F Johns COVER PHOTO BY Mike Morgan CAROLINE DORCHESTER KENT QUEEN ANNE S TALBOT

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editors M O N T H LY NOTE President Jim Normandin Editors Amelia Blades Steward Manning Lee Spring is sprung While we didn t have much of a winter this year it s always good to begin Daylight Savings Time and longer days more opportunity to be outside to enjoy our gardens take a bike ride or just sit on the lawn and breathe in the aromas of spring The April issue of the magazine celebrates the environment April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and we recount the history of this global celebration and some local ties to its founder Our love of our planet begins right here at home and we showcase local efforts to preserve what we call precious in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Learn about how local students are a growing part of the efforts with our feature on the Chesapeake Watershed Semester at Gunston We also capture a Stevensville couple s passion for cleaning up the Bay s beaches as well as how Environmental Concern is raising awareness about the importance of increasing natural habitat for native species like the Monarch butterfly population which is declining in North America Eastern Shore Sea Glass Coastal Arts Festival founder Kim Hannon shares how their event is becoming the largest annual ocean arts festival in the nation On the creative side of things this month s issue profiles award winning indie novelist Stephanie Verni who is capturing the nuances of Maryland and the Eastern Shore in her popular fiction as well as local artist Jill Basham has competed in and won major awards in over a dozen Plein Design Consultant Maire McArdle Copy Editor B Rae Perryman From left to right Maire McArdle design consultant Manning Lee and Amy Steward co editors met at the Tidewater Inn for a planning session Air competitions around the country Experience the more diverse side of the Eastern Shore through this month s departments featuring Bombay Tadka s new restaurant location in Easton which is definitely drawing crowds to experience authentic Indian cuisine Cult Classic is bringing a new live music experience to its local brewery on Kent Island Finally you might be surprised about the popularity of two Eastern Shore delicacies from our waterways shad roe and snakehead Don t turn your nose up until you read about what makes them unique and tasty We got a great response to our March issue on our pets and appreciate your comments and input on story ideas Feel free to send them to info shoremonthly com We look forward to bringing you our May issue where we will examine how the equine industry has evolved on the Shore just another aspect of what makes our region so special Get outside and enjoy the beauty of the season experiencing some of our favorite picks for spring Amelia Blades Steward Manning Lee Co Editors Correction We apologize for incorrectly crediting the photos on page 18 of the March 2020 issue The photographs were taken by Ted Mueller Photography 8 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Chief Revenue Officer Paul Hagood Marketing Director Betsy Griffin Creative Director Greg Mueller Contributing Photographers Arden Haley Mike Morgan Caroline J Phillips Stephen Walker Contributing Writers Dabrianna Green Kathi Ferguson Tracey F Johns Brady Keefe Advertising Contact Brandon Silverstein Advertising Manager 410 200 6469 Editorial Contact 410 463 9883 Submissions submissions shoremonthly com Subscriptions 410 770 4005 Receive Shore Monthly in the comfort of your own home for only 24 a year or subscribe to The Star Democrat for 138 a year and receive Shore Monthly for FREE 29088 Airpark Drive Easton MD 21601 www shoremonthly com Shore Monthly is published by The Star Democrat No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means including electronic retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher By Ryan Helfenbein Will you remember me in a week in a month or in a year Why of course Knock Knock Who s there That might be the one concern many of us have regarding generations to come Will they remember me Or better yet how will they remember me My 10 year old shared this joke with me the other day and it immediately triggered the creation of an article on a question that is commonly asked How do I write an obituary First let s change the word obituary to what I d refer to as a Life History Leaving a legacy is important for us all but leaving an explanation of that legacy is much more beneficial to those left behind and generations to come We often find the write ups in the newspaper answering a series of questions Born on died on went to school at married on And the list just keeps going But do these questions really explain the life of someone Better yet does the personality come through in simply answering questions or should we look at this differently Perhaps we need to eliminate the idea of listing facts of an individual and instead look at writing about the highlights of a life lived with the personality of that individual shining through The best Life History is autobiographical written by the person that lived the life being remembered and well in advance Second and most commonly is a collected effort from close family and friends collaborating over the ways they were touched through the life journey of the individual being remembered There should be no limit on how long or short what should or should not be included who is mentioned or not and most importantly not limited to the answering of a few questions The recording of a life has no limitations and should shine with personality of that individual vs a list of facts that simply is no different from another person other than a few dates Technology today allows modern undertakers to showcase the individual s full life history for all to find with no limitations on words or lines like a newspaper would In addition photos and background images are able to be attached to what a modern undertaker can provide to enhance the personality of the life history created A great example of what I mean was recently published in March of 2019 See if you can pick out the personality of this individual in simply the first two lines alone Tim Schrandt Lynyrd made his last inappropriate comment on March 29 2019 If you are wondering if you may have ever met him you didn t because you WOULD remember With just those first two lines and there was much more to follow future generations will know that their friend and relative was quite a character and full of personality Now if a typical mortician would have written that opening line it would most likely have been written like so Schrandt Tim Spillville passed away on March 29 of cancer He was 63 Major difference between the two right The first sentence alone explained the personality behind the individual and focused on a life lived vs the reality of his passing Everyone that read that Life History of Mr Schrandt knew his personality what he must have been like and that he truly lived life to the fullest The entire write up read just like that too How he will be remembered for always wearing his shirts unbuttoned three quarters down and my personal favorite that he did not lose his battle to cancer that cancer departed when he did so technically it was a tie What truly hits home is the fact that out of this Life History alone his family will receive the strongest therapy available an opening for friends family and acquaintances to freely share memories of his glowing personality What if the personality is a bit softer Not a problem That in itself is the message to portray in the Life History At the age of 63 Sally left this world peacefully at her home overlooking her garden surrounded by family to be with her savior This tells us that Sally was a peaceful person with strong faith and a love for gardening and family You can almost picture the person before you Take the time now to simply list the highs and lows in life stories that showcase your personality and list the memories that were impactful to all around Each of us has a story to tell and all of us have impacted someone else at some point in our lifetime weather we knew it or not Life Histories are created to allow an avenue of therapy for all to be a part of and most importantly provide a record of personality so that one is never forgotten Knock knock This is not a joke this Ask the Undertaker was re run due to an error with the copy from the printing company Thank you for the calls asking about the last issue we appreciate that you read it and appreciate the feedback

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SHORE TIME MHBR 748 MHIC 11697 Integrating Sustainable Building Principles 314 MAIN STREET STEVENSVILLE MD 410 643 3334 LUNDBERGBUILDERS COM HISTORY OF THE MARYLAND FLAG The Maryland flag is the epitome of tangible storytelling a depiction of how the state came to be THE DESIGN PROCESS Maryland s early association with black and yellow served as THE TIMELINE an ode to the Calvert family colonial proprietors of Maryland Flags mimicking the stylistic elements of George Calvert s banner appear in published sketches by Frank Blackwell Mayer George Calvert s mother s position as an heiress to the Crossland line entitled him to use both Calvert and Crossland Coats of Arms in his banner forming the banner we know today During the Civil War Pro Confederate Marylanders adopted the red and white of the Crossland Coat of Arms to distinguish themselves from Maryland as the world knew it a black and yellow Union state 1880 1888 A flag with the alternating Calvert and Crossland colors is spotted at the dedication ceremonies for the Maryland monument at the Gettysburg Battlefield W OUT Check it N WE RE SO EXCITED Local news anywhere anytime in the palm of your hands LISTEN READ WATCH ENGAGE The NEW Star Democrat Online P R I N T D I G I TA L SOCIAL A one of a kind local experience that brings community and storytelling to life Witness dynamic and engaging content from the world around us Indulge in an experience that enhances your quality of life Check out the new stardem com today By the end of the war both sets of colors were collectively associated with Maryland Both sets of colors were integrated during the Reconstruction era to symbolize reconciliation BY DABRIANNA GREEN PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES 14 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 15

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ART BEAT Top Jill displays her pochade box Above Fire Drill Atlanta 2019 30x24 oil 22 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Basham s work once even hung in the U S Embassy in Sri Lanka as part of U S Department of State s Art in Embassies program Her work hangs in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad A native Marylander Basham grew up in Columbia Artistic abilities are not uncommon in her family tree Her mother Isobel Tascher was a painter and her uncle J Reginald Taylor was a talented etcher She considers her talent to be God given but never as a viable career choice Instead she chose to work in transportation planning in Howard County and was just shy of earning an advanced degree when her daughter came along It wasn t until 2009 when the youngest of her four children was in elementary school that she thought about taking an art class Her husband encouraged her to go ahead and give painting a shot She started by enrolling in a drawing class at the Academy Art Museum in Easton under Katie Cassidy whom she says gave her a wonderful foundation for her painting Next she took a painting class at the Dorchester Center for the Arts with Mary Egeli Ekroos who is nationally renowned and part of the Egeli family of artists from New England Basham recalled I signed up for my first painting class got the supplies and I showed up I had no idea what I was doing and Ekroos had no idea I d never painted before I didn t even know how to put the paints on the palette She even had to tell me how to do that Ekroos quickly realized that I had never painted before Then she continued on painting under the guidance of impressionist Roberta Seger at the Academy Art Museum Basham works best when painting outdoors in wide open spaces In exploring each new expansive scene whether field waterfront or beach it s as if she happens upon the scenes unexpectedly unnoticed like an uninvited guest who quietly observes and imbibes Overwhelmed and delighted with place she paints simultaneously both what her eyes see and what her heart feels emitting variations of mood and energy in her work Each painting brings about a different emotion depending upon the scene I m depicting It s up to the viewer to decide how they feel about the painting she explained Through the years of competing Basham learned a valuable lesson relevant to her own life but coincidentally a universal principle that she shares I realized I wasn t painting for me I was trying to fill the canvas with a painting that might please others she explained I began to dive back into my work painting exclusively for myself with my original passion unencumbered Three words Paint for myself PFM It s now written on the inside of my pochade box with a sharpie From the painter we learn it s never too late to explore what direction your heart takes you and that it s okay to do it for yourself Once you find the right direction dive in unencumbered with all the passion you can find And do it with all of your heart To see more Jill Basham s amazing work please visit www jillbasham com S We help you keep together what you ve worked so hard to put together Asset Protection 401 k Rollovers Retirement Estate Planning Charitable Giving Employee Benefits Long Term Care Insurance Business Continuation Planning Financial Wellness Helping businesses achieve their financial goals since 1999 Offices conveniently located in Easton Salisbury Annapolis and Timonium Before rolling over the proceeds of your retirement plan to an Individual Retirement Account IRA or annuity consider whether you would benefi t from other possible options such as leaving the funds in your existing plan or transferring them into a new employer s plan You should consider the specifi c terms and rules that relate to each option including the available investment options applicable fees and expenses the services offered the withdrawal options the potential fl exibility around taking IRS required minimum distributions from the option tax consequences of withdrawals and of removing shares of employer stock from your plan possible protection from creditors and legal judgments and your unique situation Neither New York Life Insurance Company nor its agents provide tax or legal advice Consult your own tax and or legal advisors regarding your particular situation Brett M Sause Registered Representative offering securities through NYLIFE Securities LLC Member FINRA SIPC a Licensed Insurance Agency 1954 Greenspring Drive Suite 700 Timonium MD 21093 410 321 6161 Brett M Sause is an agent licensed to sell insurance through New York Life Insurance Company and may be licensed to sell insurance through various other independent unaffi liated insurance companies Brett M Sause Member Agent The Nautilus Group is a service of New York Life Insurance Com pany The Nautilus Group as well as its employees and Member Agents do not provide tax or legal advice Atlantic Financial Group LLC is independently owned and operated from NYLIFE Securities LLC and its affi liates SMRU 1761050 01 17 2020 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 23

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PROFILE BOMBAY TADKA Rohite Shinde takes a break from his restaurant s busy lunch time to pose by this graphic mural depicting his home country 24 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 PHOTO BY STEPHEN WALKER We live in the land of opportunities People come from all over the world to hustle and work their way up to places that they only imagine or dream of Farshad Asl Meet Rohit Shinde the young man behind Easton s newest Indian cuisine BY MANNING LEE Meet young entrepreneur and restauranteur Rohit Shinde He is 28 originally from a small village near Mumbai India Shinde grew up in a middle class family his father is a policeman and his mother works in the textile industry Mumbai is considered the industry capital of India and is home to many opportunities and most of his family But Shinde had a different dream for himself that would lead him far away from home After finishing high school Shinde headed for college in Glasgow Scotland to study hotel management My college taught me every aspect of hotel mmanagement he explained After graduation I had a choice either to stay and work in Scotland or come to the United States In 2014 after graduation the Hyatt Properties in Cambridge hired me That s when I came to the Eastern Shore Shinde s first year on the Eastern Shore proved difficult Culture shock came from all directions not only was life in a new country difficult but Shinde was used to Mumbai A rural area like Cambridge and the Eastern Shore were different than anything he d been used to But Shinde persisted and eventually pushed through the discomfort of adjusting to his new life He focused on his training at the Hyatt making mental notes and asking questions He studied everything he could to prove himself taking his time learning how S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 25

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BOMBAY TADKA Open Tuesday Saturday 11 00 2 30 Buffet 5 00 9 00 Dinner 443 746 2135 508 Idlewild Ave Easton each department worked He felt satisfied with all he d learned about the hospitality industry I finally realized how this really was the land of opportunity and there were so many things I could do if I had the courage That s when I decided to open up my restaurant I could ve opened up a pizza place 26 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Above Buffet items include fish chili and palak pakoda Left Rohite with sparkler at a 2018 Diwali Festival in India a corner of the restaurant s decor shows rich colors and textures or sandwich shop but I chose an Indian restaurant because it was what I knew and there weren t any Indian restaurants around People love Indian food he said His first restaurant Bombay Tadka on Race Street in Cambridge opened in April 2018 He named it Bombay after the colonial name for Mumbai and Tadka the name of an Indian cooking technique where fresh spices are roasted in ghee Tadka brings out the aromas and tastes Indian food is known for The support from the community was overwhelmingly positive People told him how Bombay Tadka reminded them of their travels to India Coming to his restaurant makes patrons feel as if they were back in India all over again In fact the response over the first two years was so great that Shinde recently was able to open his second location in Easton in January in the spot where Guiffrida s Pizzeria on Idlewild Avenue used to be It was an easy decision to come to Easton because there is something so different about it Many of Easton s residents come from someplace else like D C Seattle California New Jersey or Montgomery County What I ve found is that Easton s just a slow paced town close to the big cities People come across the Bay Bridge to slow down from their fastpaced lives there Perhaps they only live on the Shore part time but when they come to Bombay Tadka they tell me how glad they are to have more ethnic food choices in Easton and how much they love our food Shinde explained While Shinde trusted Easton would love his food he also knew that many locals had never tried Indian fare In order to build his clientele he introduces several foods at lunch every day at his all you can eat lunch buffet Once they re comfortable with foods on the buffet they ll be confident ordering items from the menu he said For first time visitors to Bombay Tadka Shinde recommends an appetizer called Gobi Manchurian that is a lightly battered cauliflower deep COURTESY PHOTOS PROFILE fried and saut ed with sweet and hot sauce Another delicious appetizer is the chili chicken saut ed with onion bell peppers and green chili with a yogurt mint dipping sauce A classic must have for beginners is the Butter Chicken saut ed in a tomatobased sauce with butter and a tasty blend of spices For now Bombay Tadka serves mostly Northern Indian cuisine which is characterized by its use of spices and frequent use of dairy products like yogurt milk and ghee However starting in the summer of 2020 Shinde plans on introducing traditional Southern Indian cuisines to the menu While the Southern Indian cuisine also uses the aromatic spices it is known for using more grains and rice as its staples Rice is very important to all the Southern dishes but it s also a key ingredient to the popular ancient bread Dosa which will be on the menu The Southern cuisine uses coconut sauces as well as lentils Also coming this summer a few mornings each week Shinde will offer breakfast foods like egg and rice dishes Walking into Bombay Tadka is a feast for all the senses One is met with the aromatic spices of India pleasantly wafting through the room Jewel and fiery tones line the walls and ceilings giving off a delightful ambient light Bombay Tadka has the look and feel of India What s exciting about Shinde isn t only that he emigrated or that he s not even 30 and already owns two restaurants What s fascinating is that he dreamed a life for himself and now he s making it happen The best part about having Shinde in Easton is having Bombay Tadka down the street to whisk us away to a place where we can experience the aromatic delights of India He makes Easton a little bit more of a delicious place to live S SHOP OUR 902 S Talbot Street St Michaels MD 21663 Monday Friday 8am to 5pm Saturday 10am to 4pm 410 7745 5192 7 higginsandspencer com higginsandspencer S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 27

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MORE ON THE SHORE RECLAIMED c e R fra tion The Eastern Shore Sea Glass Coastal Arts Festival BY TRACEY F JOHNS Unpolished seaglass is a favorite for beachcombers to save in a jar or scatter on a tabletop Opposite A fine craft necklace with sea glass pendant 28 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 SEA GLASS PHOTO BY STEPHEN WALKER NECKALCE PHOTO BY ARDEN HALEY Tides and time can weather the shiniest of souls softening the light and dulling any sharp edges a person holds Out of that weathering and wear comes a different light reclaimed and refracted with a certain beauty and grace The same is true with much of the discarded glass in our oceans and waterways Tousled and tumbled until the glass loses its sharp edges and shine sea glass washes up along shorelines as frosted pieces of weathered wonder Each piece differs in color and size and uniquely gathers the light as if shining from within reminding us of days spent waterside Sea glass is also the main attraction in St Michaels where the annual Eastern Shore Sea Glass Coastal Arts Festival gathers thousands of coastal art lovers at the waterfront Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum over two days each April Eastern Shore Sea Glass Coastal Arts Festival founder Kim Hannon started the festival nine years ago soon after opening her coastalinspired boutique Ophiuroidea She wanted a place to showcase the local sea glass artisans who came to meet and do business with her She says the event started with five artisans in a smaller location before moving to CBMM last year Now the event has grown to fill the maritime museum s expansive waterfront campus displaying the works of coastal and sea glass artisans plus live music on two stages regional food educational lectures boat rides and more It s become the largest annual ocean arts festival in the nation she says Hannon also serves as president of the North American Sea Glass Association an organization with a mission that goes beyond sea glass education to protecting and restoring waterways and coastlines around the world S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 29

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30 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Myers and Chris Sacks Headlining on Saturday will be Annapolis based musicians Pressing Strings performing from the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand on the Miles River at CBMM This year I m also excited that we have more educational lectures from top experts in their fields including Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming author Deacon Ritterbush also known as Dr Beachcomb and author Mary McCarthy with The Beachcombing Center commented Hannon The Beachcombing Center originally was founded as The Sea Glass Center and is dedicated to educating about worldwide shoreline finds and increasing awareness about eroding coastlines and marine debris The nonprofit is currently seeking donations to find a permanent space on Maryland s Eastern Shore to exhibit and preserve a collection of beachcombed items from around the globe On the eve of this year s Festival The Beachcombing Center is hosting a private preview party to launch a new temporary exhibit space at Knapp s Narrows Marina Inn on Tilghman Island Combing the shoreline at low tide particularly after a storm brings treasures to beach goers and water lovers throughout the world said Hannon who also serves on The Beachcombing Center s Board of Directors We want to create a place to bring together the most treasured finds while celebrating how beachcombing connects us The people of the Eastern Shore and beyond now have new ways to celebrate the beauty and history of sea glass through the new Beachcombing Center and the annual Eastern Shore Sea Glass Coastal Arts Festival Each provides examples of the beauty in reclaiming someone s trash as another s treasure and how refraction of light especially from an old worn piece of sea glass can warm the soul S I love my customers trees as much as they do Maybe more Jose Rivas champions the trees landscapes and property investments of the customers in his care And he s one of the many reasons we ve become the premier scienti c tree and shrub care company in the world Call us at 410 745 5100 bartlett com St Michaels MD clothing I jewelry I accessories EVERY TREE NEEDS A CHAMPION JOSE RIVAS Arborist and Bartlett Champion LTE063 21 Goldsborough St Easton MD 410 763 9262 Rediscover the simple M O N T H LY joys of a rural getaway WHAT S COMING IN THE Camp under the MAY ISSUE stars at Martinak or Tuckahoe State Park visit a farm explore CAMPBELL S LANE FARM EQUINE THERAPY SEA GLASS FESTIVAL PHOTOS BY ARDEN HALEY A selection of sea glass creations represents the creative jewelry and home decor offered by vendors at the Sea Glass Festival on April 4 5 at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St Michaels Part of our mission is to help clean the shorelines said Hannon So it comes as no surprise that many sea glass collectors and beachcombers will also take a trash bag along with them to pick up debris Having this outlet of upcycled art helps to bring awareness to shoreline protection while encouraging cleaning up the beaches and making beautiful works of art to cherish and enjoy Hannon says the festival feels like a family reunion each year bringing together artists who take sea glass and other coastal finds and turn them into treasured jewelry home d cor useable art and more I ve met so many wonderful sea glass sisters and brothers throughout the years said Hannon And every year it is a great way to celebrate a common love of the beach and sea glass with so many people Plus with ticket sales through the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum it s also a great fundraising and membership drive opportunity for them Hannon says last year was a recordbreaking event with more than 9 000 people attending and 75 artisans participating in the event This year the April 4 5 festival will feature more than 90 artisans many from the local Delmarva area while other artisans will be travelling from as far away as Hawaii who will exhibit and sell their unique creations The Eastern Shore Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival is fun for the whole family couples or great for a girlfriend s weekend get together said Hannon Add in the museum s working shipyard exhibits and historic structures and we have something for everyone of every age to enjoy The festival is now in its 9th year and includes two days of live music on two stages from local musicians John Belser Jayme Dingler Dave Hawkins Emma YOUR STYLE YOUR STORY MORE ON THE SHORE our small towns hike or bike our wooded trails We re open SULKY RACING MEETS THE MISSION FIELD DELICIOUS HEALTHY CUISINE AT FIGG S ORDINARY SUBSCRIBE TODAY for you if you re OPEN FOR VisitCaroline org HAPPY CA M P E R S AT SHOREMONTHLY COM S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 31

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Students observe Conowingo Dam spillways in use November 1 2019 Kayla Flood paddling on the Rivanna River Charlottesville VA August 2019 Camy Kelly outlines the watershed boundary August 2018 With this program in mind Gunston launched its new Environmental Strategic Plan in 2015 Its goal was to become a regional and national leader in environmental teaching and learning Out of this ambitious directive the concept of Chesapeake Watershed Semester CWS arose Inspired by the semester abroad study model we designed an educational deep dive into the science and policy that underly the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay said Emily Beck director of CWS In January 2016 Gunston s Board of Trustee s approved the program In the summer of 2017 a team of Gunston educators wrote the curriculum and in the fall of 2018 we launched our program Our goal by 2025 is to be a fully residential semester school with our own campus that can house 36 40 students 34 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 somewhere on the Eastern Shore close to Gunston but really maintaining its own identity THE PROGRAM The Chesapeake Watershed Semester is a fully accredited program of The Gunston School Students wishing to attend CWS from local high schools will find that each class works toward state core curriculum requirements Both the environmental science and the government classes enable students to return to their regular AP classes and sit for the AP exams in May The core academic program also includes literature and leadership classes CWS also blocks out time for various independent online math classes and world languages What makes this program work is the diversity of student learners who thrive within the structure It is interesting to see the different types of students interested in our program said Beck We ve seen some of our academic highflyers who want to challenge themselves with the collegiate style of teaching as well as the highly experiential learners who have also been drawn to the Watershed Semester s hands on approach THE EXPEDITIONS The signature piece of the CWS program is the five extensive learning expeditions During the course of the semester students take multiple three day and two night expeditions Expedition one Orientation and Headwaters of the Shenandoah in Charlottesville Virginia is the first trip of the semester Students involve themselves in icebreakers getting to know one another camping hiking and kayaking On the Public Policy and Urban Environments trip to Washington D C the students visit Capitol Hill We had to use everything we d learned in class in the previous two weeks before the trip We visited the office of Maryland Congressman Andy Harris and met with his staff as well as the staff members for Senator Ben Cardin which was pretty cool said Olivia Hershey 21 water runs directly from the ocean through the lab and back out into the ocean As it flowed through the lab we were able to examine critters gathered from the salt flats We looked at and identified each species then put them back into the water when we were done with them said Henry Shifrin 21 One day we timed how fast an oyster clam and a muscle filtered the water It was so cool said Kayla Flood 21 Expedition three Expedition four Expedition two COURTESY PHOTOS EMILY BECK THE GUNSTON SCHOOL THE PLAN Reagan Gessford front and Phebe Wood rear examine benthic tidal organisms while working with VIMS in Wachapreague VA October 7 2019 The goal of the third expedition is to gain a greater appreciation for Chesapeake Bay ecosystems by learning how scientists collect data in the field and in the lab at Virginia Institute of Marine Science VIMS VIMS is one of the largest marine research and education centers in the United States and is located in Wachapreague Virginia VIMS had a flow through lab where The goal of the fourth expedition is to study the energy and land use in Centralia Pennsylvania and included a visit to the Conowingo Dam Centralia is a borough in Columbia County Pennsylvania Its population has dwindled from more than 1 000 residents in 1980 to only five in 2017 a result of the coal seam fire burning beneath the borough since 1962 It is expected to burn for another 250 years On the same expedition students learned how the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River traps much of the sediment and nutrient pollution carried by the river and prevents it from reaching the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay Now the area behind the dam has filled in more quickly than scientists had anticipated The students toured the Dam and witnessed the debris for themselves Although the government intentionally funded a debris clean up project the result wasn t what they thought it should be considering the resources allocated That was really interesting because we got there right after the government had agreed to spend millions and millions of dollars to clean up but from what we saw there s one guy with a tractor picking up trash said Hershey While the realization was shocking it gave the students a spectacular S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 35

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The Spring edition of Chesapeake Bay Wedding is Now Available that the island is disappearing and that the water level is rising We talked with the residents there and did a lot of interviews This is a tight knit community who looks at the problem in an old fashioned way Then we went to Norfolk to the Office of Resiliency and we were thrust back into the 21st century and witnessed people looking at modern solutions based on resiliency and how a city can come together to work through its problem g n i d d e w O N L O C AT IO N SPRING 2020 s A look at some of the area finest wedding venues C O C K TA I L S Mobile bars bring the fun to your big day FLORALS ms Transforming single bloo t into an elegant bouque COUPLES Inspiring weddings from around the region Chesapeake Bay 2020 SPRING EDITION THE IMPACT opportunity to ask deeper questions and to probe the issue in a more meaningful way There could have been any number of reasons why the students witnessed anemic efforts but the policy lesson they learned is invaluable Problem funded does not mean problem solved Expedition five The goal of the fifth expedition is to explore climate change and coastal 36 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 resiliency on Smith Island Maryland and Norfolk Virginia This trip was so good because we took our leadership and really applied everything we d learned all semester We designed every aspect of this trip ourselves including the supply list as well as the itinerary said Sydney Nittle 21 Phoebe Wood 21 described On Smith Island you re physically seeing ING CHESAPEAKE BAY WEDD Smith Island MD during high tide November 18 2019 The Chesapeake Watershed Semester has had a positive impact on the Gunston community as a whole sparking interest and attracting prospective students at their open houses Upon returning to the general population of the school after their Watershed semester teachers have noticed a marked rise in the maturity level of the CWS students They have more leadership skills during class discussions and they seemed to have found their voice The students have really accelerated their own growth through the program said Beck JRR Tolkien once said It s the job that s never started that takes the longest to finish In terms of educating people and changing the way we care for the Chesapeake Watershed we can t finish what we don t start While Chesapeake Watershed Semester isn t designed to save the Bay it ambitiously sets into motion the job of placing the Chesapeake Bay s care into its students hands showing them that it s their Bay to save For more information about Chesapeake Watershed Semester please visit www chesapeakewatershed semester org S COURTESY PHOTOS EMILY BECK THE GUNSTON SCHOOL CWS2 Students on Smith Island MD during high tide November 18 2019 L to R Reagan Gessford Kayla Flood Cedar Foster Sydney Nittle James Fordi Henry Shifrin Carter Janney Jackson Talbott and Aidan Meyers ChesapeakeBayWedding com

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Clockwise from left EC president Suzanne Pittenger Slear and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge manager Marcia Pradines celebrate World Wetlands Day on February 2nd Living shoreline created by EC at the headwaters of San Domingo Creek protecting the St Michaels Nature Trail cordgrass Spartina alterniflora improves water quality and provides important marsh habitat for fish birds and crabs travel between 50 and 100 miles a day and it can take up to two months to complete their seasonal journey to forgiving climates Environmental Concern Inc EC in St Michaels Maryland has shared this and many other butterfly facts in the hopes to help preserve the near threatened species The group is a local nonprofit raising awareness about the importance of improving water quality and increasing natural habitat for native species Butterflies count among their top concerns In 2004 550 million Monarchs completed their annual two month winter migration from Canada to Mexico In 2013 only 33 million arrived at their overwintering grounds a 94 percent decrease over nine years Suzanne PittengerSlear President of Environmental 40 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Eroded Bank on the Miles River existing conditions before Environmental Concern created a Living Shoreline Concern is on a mission to share the message that habitat loss is one of the major reasons for the Monarch butterfly s decline Over the last 20 years Pittenger Slear has developed a real appreciation for the importance of native plant habitat Pittenger Slear and her husband Gene moved to Cambridge in 1991 We were looking for an affordable place close to the water We fell in love with the city of Cambridge and the Choptank River she comments We were fascinated as we watched the many working Skipjacks leaving the city harbor at dawn and the thousands of ducks diving for food along the shorelines of the river during the winter migration We never anticipated the dramatic changes that would take place over the next decade Pittenger Slear joined the Dorchester Garden Club to meet some of the local plant enthusiasts contribute to the Club s work in the community and to increase her knowledge about local plant species She was introduced by a Garden Club friend to Ed Garbisch founder of Environmental Concern Soon after she joined Environmental Concern as editor of their peer reviewed publication The Wetland Journal As I learned about the many opportunities to raise awareness about the importance of wetland habitat I wanted to devote more COURESTY PHOTOS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN INC Monarch butterflies can time to the non profit s mission and to share this knowledge with the community she recalls Both Gene and I made the commitment to continue EC s legacy to dedicate our time and talent to the non profit We both agreed that this was our opportunity to make a difference and to leave the earth a better place than we found it In 2001 Pittenger Slear was elected President and CEO of Environmental Concern and Gene was elected Vice President When the Garbisch s retired from the nonprofit Suzanne and Gene continued to expand EC s restoration projects native plant propagation and outreach programs They committed to creating career paths for environmental scientists interested in wetland restoration In 2015 Pittenger Slear was invited to join the U S Delegation in San Diego for the 20th meeting of the U S Canada Mexico Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management Her focus at the meeting was on ecosystem conservation and the loss of habitats that has resulted in a 90 percent reduction of the Monarch population over the past few decades Construction and development overspraying agriculture fields and more severe storms were causing the loss of Monarch habitat The U S proposed a new program at the meeting which would help increase habitat for Monarchs by increasing the number of milkweed plants grown and planted in the migratory paths of the Monarch Milkweed grows in the ditches and on the fringes of agriculture fields she said Monarch butterflies only lay eggs on milkweed plants and it s the only plant that the Monarch caterpillar eats If milkweed habitat disappears Monarch butterflies will disappear When I found out that the Monarch butterfly was a near threatened species I realized that EC needed to get this information out to the public Environmental Concern has been growing milkweed plants in its nursery for decades Expanding education programs that raise awareness about the importance of milkweed habitat was a natural extension of its outreach initiatives Pittenger Slear adds We have been collecting seeds from our campus and from plants grown in our nursery and used in EC projects since our founding As the demand for native plants increases EC s seed inventory must increase to meet the demand She presented the idea of starting a community native seed collection program to EC s staff in 2015 after returning from the Trilateral meeting The idea turned into a reality when EC founded the Mid Atlantic Monarch Initiative MAMI and introduced the Seed Stewards for Monarchs Program to the public in May 2018 The goal of the program is to increase milkweed seed inventory in order to grow more milkweed engaging both individuals S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 41

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THE MARSH BUILDER Environmental Concern was established in 1972 by Dr Edgar Garbisch known by many as the Marsh Builder He founded the organization because 50 percent of the nation s wetlands along with the species that depend on the wetlands for their survival were disappearing Dr Garbisch and a number of his colleagues developed the propagation protocol for over 100 native plant species EC became the first Native Wetland Plant Nursery in the U S Today EC is committed to improving water quality and creating restoring and conserving wetlands living shorelines and other natural habitats through education and outreach propagation of native plant species and professional design and installation Butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa seed pods collected in EC s pollinator garden before seeds were separated from the floss Butterfly milkweed plant ready for delivery to a Seed Steward s garden Opposite Students at Sudlersville Elementary School participated in their own Mini Monarch Ultra Run Walk while following the progress of the adult ultra runners traveling through North America 42 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 and organizations to help them accomplish the program goals Today over 235 Seed Stewards across the state have signed up to become volunteers receiving free swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata or butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa seeds to start a Monarch butterfly habitat and a welcome bag filled with milkweed tools tips and tags Stewards collaborate with each other and with EC by sharing helpful hints about plant propagation and seed harvesting through email and social media as well as in person The volunteers share their seeds with EC to help increase seed inventory and milkweed habitat Suzanne explains Milkweed seed harvesting is challenging The pods must be collected before they burst If they are collected too soon the seeds may not be mature or be viable Environmental Concern has also been working with the Monarch Ultra Run team founders and other Global Partners to raise awareness and interest in the Monarch butterfly and habitat conservation The COURESTY PHOTOS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN INC Clockwise from bottom left Suzanne and Gene checking germination of switchgrass Panicum Virgatum seeds sown in plug trays in EC s large glass greenhouse relay run started in Peterborough Ontario and continued through the United States to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico following the path of the migrating Monarch A companion Mini Monarch Ultra Run Walk program held for local schoolage children between September and November during the Monarch s migration coincides with the Monarch Ultra Run and models the run in the schoolyard This past fall 300 students at Sudlersville Elementary School participated in their own Mini Monarch Ultra Run Walk while following the progress of the adult ultra runners traveling through North America including EC s own Vice President of Restoration Jessica Lister who ran the relay in Mexico They followed the midwest Monarch migration and recreated that route in their schoolyards with students either running or walking a route they created with their teachers Through their schoolyard habitats students also learn about the Monarch lifecycle and the importance of milkweed plants to the Monarch s survival The Mini Monarch Ultra Run Walk program provides a unique opportunity to expand the students connection with nature and the Monarch butterfly s challenging journey plus it s just a lot of fun for the students and their teachers Pittenger Slear comments We would like to expand the Mini Monarch Ultra Run Walk program to other counties on the Shore as well as our Seed Stewards for Monarchs program This past year was the best year ever for the butterfly milkweed plant on the Shore and we want to keep increasing those numbers with the hope that we will see an increase in the number of Monarchs migrating through our area For further information about the Mid Atlantic Monarch Initiative visit www wetland org MAMI or email monarchs wetland org To contact Environmental Concern visit wetland org or call 410 7459620 or follow them on Facebook EnvironmentalConcernInc Instagram envconcern or Twitter EnvConcern S Above Save the Monarchs pollinator garden created by Autumn Katie Madison and Emilee from Girl Scout Troop 1308 along the Rails to Trails in Easton FUN FACTS ABOUT THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY AND ITS HABITAT The orange of a Monarch butterfly s wings is a warning color identifying itself to predators that the butterfly will taste bad or may be toxic Monarch butterflies are not able to fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees so they will sit in the sun or shiver their wings to warm up Butterfly gardens provide habitat for caterpillars and adult butterflies by offering suitable shelter and food sources throughout their life stages Native plants provide additional benefits because they are adapted to local soil and climate conditions They also create habitat for the variety of wildlife that migrates to or lives in the Chesapeake Bay region S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 43

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BEACH BUCKETS Kent Island volunteers take care of what they love BY AMELIA BLADES STEWARD PHOTOS BY CAROLINE J PHILLIPS Some people call her the Trash Lady But for Kristin Weed of Stevensville she considers the name a compliment reflecting her passion for cleaning up trash on the Chesapeake Bay s beaches to leave them better than she found them She and her husband Jon founded the nonprofit Kent Island Beach Cleanups in 2012 after noticing trash while visiting Terrapin Beach in Stevensville The non profit s mission is to protect and preserve the beauty of the beaches parks and estuaries of Kent Island through regular cleanups education awareness social and communal responsibility and advocacy Weed recalls the day she realized she needed to do something about the litter she was observing We loved going to walk at Terrapin Beach Park but I found I wasn t enjoying our time together as a family because I couldn t stop complaining about the volume of trash on the beach every time we went We had moved from the western shore and I really didn t think there would be pollution on this side of the Bay I was clearly na ve 44 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 She began volunteering at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center to learn more about what organizations were dealing with beach cleanups on the Shore In the fall of 2012 Weed contacted the International Coastal Cleanup ICC through the Ocean Conservancy The ICC is a worldwide cleanup organized by the Ocean Conservancy where people groups and volunteer organizations from all over the world gather together on one day to clean a local beach stream or bay Trash is counted and the data gathered is used to raise awareness develop policy solutions and define specifically what types of debris are found in definite areas of the world She learned that the organization didn t have much presence on the Eastern Shore except in Ocean City and Assateague She reflects I thought what a great way to get involved The first beach cleanup was at Terrapin Beach Park and involved Weed and four other local An overflowing bucket filled with litter is a typical haul for a day s efforts to cleanup Kent Island beaches S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 45

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Jon far left and Kristin Weed center have extensive knowledge about how to properly clean up our local beaches Kristin has been dedicated to Kent Island beach maintenance since 2012 and hopes these efforts benefit our coastlines while keeping them accessible to the public Below It has become a family affair for Kristin Jon and 10 year old Evan inspiring many other families and groups to volunteer around our shores TOP 10 TRASH ITEMS volunteers The group cleaned up over 20 bags of trash in less than three hours People visiting the park stopped and told her stories of how they used to see people cleaning the beach years ago but that they hadn t seen a group there in a while Many even jogged by and yelled Thank you It was honestly the most fulfilling feeling I had ever had she said I thought to myself I can t stop here I am going to make this my hobby my mission going forward Today hundreds of volunteers attend each site s cleanup averaging about 200 bags of trash at each cleanup site Mostly the cleanups deal with washed up and left behind trash 46 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 ranging from fishing line and beer cans to baby diapers Terrapin Park is a 276 acre park with shoreline oyster shell and dirt walking trails ponds and dunes with bay grasses The environmental signage in the park was poor so the non profit began working with the Queen Anne s County Commissioners and Parks and Recreation Department to make improvements Weed states About four years into our cleanups the county hired park rangers which began to have an impact on the people coming to the park Their presence changed the attitudes of visitors as they saw enforcement happening Plus when you go somewhere and see that it s clean and there PICKED UP ON KENT ISLAND BEACHES Cigarette butts Plastic cutlery Plastic bottles Fishing lines Aluminum cans Glass beer bottles Plastic and Styrofoam food containers and wrappers Fishing bobbers Buoy markers like milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles Shotgun shells are signs posted you usually decide to respect it too The value put on convenience in most modern lifestyles has driven the use of disposables With the world of recycling becoming not as profitable as it once was Weed wants people to start rethinking the products they are using to store and carry food Her non profit is supporting bills in the Maryland House and Senate this session to implement a plastic bag ban in Maryland and supports a plastic bag ban in Queen Anne s County We are pushing for small wins Jon comments We saw the beauty of the Island and wanted to help out Now we have gotten an underground following The organization sponsors 10 to 12 cleanups each year lasting three to four hours in length and held in multiple locations on the same day To date cleanups have happened at Terrapin Beach Park Kent Narrows Landing Ferry Point Park Old Love Point Park Hemingway s Beach Matapeake Fishing Pier and Beach Romancoke Landing and Centreville Landing in Queen Anne s County Supplies and light refreshments and snacks are provided for volunteers as is documentation of community service and volunteer service hours People of all ages participate and most walk away changed Jon s 10 year old son Evan enjoys engaging the younger volunteers by hosting treasure hunts for trash If you are a denier or non believer come to a cleanup It gives you a different perspective We collect and sort trash in front of everyone and most people have an Ah Ha moment just seeing that Weed says Both Kristin and Jon work in sales and Jon is also a musician He marries music and his passion for the environment at the non profit s annual fundraiser The Krusty Crab Jam in June of each year The event includes live bands a silent auction and merchandise and the proceeds help fund supplies for cleanups and educational and marketing materials S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 47

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The KIBCU painted trailer is the receptacle for the trash bags and serves as a reminder to everyone who sees it to keep our beaches clean Kent Island Beach Cleanups is also in its fourth season of its Leaders in Training internship program for students ages 15 or older in a Queen Anne s County high school or attending college Interns coordinate cleanup programs manage and recruit volunteers and educate the public about the results of the cleanups My whole point is to steadily grow our volunteer base but keep it simple said Weed Our main focus has been at both Terrapin Beach Park and the Kent Narrows Fishing Pier and Landing area Our efforts and attention in these two regions are important because of their close proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries as well as the lack of regulation and control of pollution in these two very different parts of our Eastern Shore We love living here on the island so it is a great way to give back to our community while keeping it clean so we can enjoy it too Although both Jon and Kristin work 48 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 full time Kristin continues to stay active in environmental work beyond their non profit She serves on the Shore Rivers Advisory Board and was involved as a guest speaker at the first 2020 Upper Shore Youth Environmental Action Summit in March at Washington College Looking back on how the experience has changed both of them Jon states that now he sees trash everywhere including cigarette butts on the side of the road crediting his work with the non profit in opening his eyes to the pollution that is happening all around us He also credits his wife with changing their household in dramatic ways The family uses no single use plastic they compost they have changed their driving habits and they have even greatly changed their eating habits due to climate change by becoming vegetarians and eating vegan as much as possible He quips Kristin is threatening this month to wean us off using paper UPCOMING BEACH CLEANUP DATES Kent Island Beach Cleanups Kent Narrows Pier and Ferry Point Park Cleanups April 18 8 a m to 12 00 p m Hemingway Beach Cleanup Hemingway s Beach 357 Pier 1 Rd Stevensville MD 21666 May 16 8 a m to 12 noon ESTATES FARMS ACREAGE CONDOS WATERFRONT BUILDERS towels at home And she s right Kristin adds At the end of the day I want to be on the right side of history at the end of my life I can t ask people to do things I don t do myself For further information visit kentislandbeachcleanups com or call 410 458 1240 S F O R A D V E R T I S I N G D E TA I L S C O N TA C T B R E N D A A N D R E W 443 239 0773 EMAIL BANDREW CHESPUB COM WWW ESSHOMES COM D EAD L I N E F O R M AY 2 0 2 0 AP R I L 10 2 0 2 0 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 49

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TASTE BUDS IT S ALL ABOUT BY KATHI FERGUSON 50 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 FOOD PHOTO BY STEPHEN WALKER SHAD BUSH GETTY IMAGES SHAD FISH COURTESY CHESAPEAKEBAY NET THE ROE When signs of spring come to mind our thoughts typically turn to warmer days songbirds April showers and blooming gardens But for many on Maryland s Eastern Shore a very different pleasure awaits It is when Atlantic shad make their way from the ocean to spawn in the freshwater rivers and streams of the Chesapeake Bay a signal that indulging in the seasonal delicacy of shad roe is bound to follow It is also the time when the fish s namesake shadbush comes to life According to local lore as soon as the shadbush blooms in early spring the fish follow suit running upriver to spawn Boasting clusters of small white flowers and round crimson fruits the deciduous shadbush is found throughout the entire Bay watershed and is easily spotted at fence rows in open woods and along the edges of forested wetlands American shad are the largest member of the herring family and have long been an important food source in our region s history For hundreds of years shad were caught by Native Americans as a staple food and European colonists kept barrels of salted shad in their home During the Revolutionary War an early shad run helped feed George Washington s troops after a harsh winter spent at Valley Forge in 1778 The Latin name for the shad Alosa sapidissima means most delicious Tiny ripe eggs of the female are contained in two lobe shaped sacs called sets each weighing between twelve and eighteen ounces Bearing a resemblance to liver shad roe is typically deep red in color but can occasionally reveal a light yellowish hue Rich and meaty the taste leans towards briny and savory tending to take on the flavors with which it is cooked There are several ways to prepare shad roe but most importantly it should be handled with care and cooked at low temperatures to avoid bursting the eggs Shad roe has been sought after and enjoyed as fine table fare for generations but today it can be hard to come by Historic overfishing pollution and river passages blocked by dams have contributed to severe Opposite A broiled shad roe dish topped with bacon is served at Suicide Bridge Restaurant in Hurlock Top the shadbush in bloom in spring Above the shad S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 51

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TASTE BUDS Many of our regular customers call ahead or stop in to see if it s on the menu says Craig Cropper manager of Suicide Bridge Restaurant in Hurlock I call them the shad roe connoisseurs depletion of shad populations Although protected under the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act since 1965 the Maryland fishery closed its commercial harvest in 1980 with Virginia following suit in 1994 Most of the local restaurants and fish markets look to North Carolina for their supply these days Ask any Eastern Shore native who has been around for a while about shad roe and chances are good he has eaten it We always rolled ours in flour and pan fried it in bacon fat says Tilghman native John Kinnamon The fish itself was too bony to eat but the roe was something special The roe typically makes its debut in the kitchens of area restaurants during the month of February and is available through the end of March Many of our regular customers call ahead or stop in to see if it s on the menu says Craig Cropper manager of Suicide Bridge Restaurant in Hurlock I call them the shad roe connoisseurs They tend to be an older clientele who grew up with it and really enjoy it Broiled and served with crispy bacon on top with a side of lemon butter sauce makes the dish Flavorful dishes of shad roe are eagerly awaited each year by a loyal culinary following on the Shore leaving little doubt the springtime migration that once brought abundant schools of this storied fish to their rivers of origin has become a significant part of Chesapeake history and culture S At Ease A N T I C M I D AT L THE LONG RUN e for Tips on how to prepar and long distance running it how to learn to love Y M I L I T A R L I F E ENJOY THE LIFE Q A About life with Comrecruiting Station a Weber mander SFC Amand HOP HAPPY brewery An Upper Marlboro e crafting that blends creativ taste with an approachable NOW AVAILABLE A military magazine for the active and retired military lifestyle Pick up your copy At Ease is the magazine of the uniquely Mid Atlantic military lifestyle Featuring everything that makes the Mid Atlantic special from travel to cuisine along with health tech and finance FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT wylderhotels com John Rives jrives chespub com 301 848 0175 To see more of At Ease on the go follow us on Facebook Instagram and Twitter under ateasemonthly 52 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0

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Stephanie Verni with a stack of her books by the water in St Michaels Shore Monthly What about Maryland contributes to your renewed inspiration for each project Stephanie Verni I think with Annapolis where the first book is set I just had a great upbringing I had a great family I loved the area So Annapolis was my first choice because I knew it well I could write about the town I mean I know it like the back of my hand One of my friends said You captured Annapolis like Sex the City captured New York City So that was a great compliment The other two books are set in Oxford Inn Significant and St Michaels Little Milestones I just love it over here Whenever I get a free day to come over the bridge I want to be here I m little by little hopefully convincing my husband that at some point we re going to live over here 56 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 when we retire I just adore it I ve been coming here for 20 years just coming Sometimes I get in the car by myself and just come over and stroll Sometimes I bring friends but I just love the Eastern Shore I think Maryland has a lot to offer and we need to bolster what a great state this is so that s why I write about it When I drive over that bridge my stress just goes away As soon as I hit the Eastern Shore it s just a different pace of life When I drive on that Baltimore beltway I yearn for a small town feel It s just quaint and charming I just love everything about it SM You have quite a cohesive catalogue of fiction influenced by the places you ve been Was that a conscious decision SV When I wrote the first book I didn t say All my books are going to be set in Maryland It just sort of happened that way I write what I know I ve lived in Maryland since I was four and a half years old so it s what I know SM Your audience raves about your knack for bringing settings to life Do you intentionally write this way SV Yes I do I take a lot of photos I try to get it right The last thing I would want is for someone in St Michaels to read my book and say She doesn t get it She doesn t get St Michaels I really try hard to When I wrote Inn Significant I had a woman who lived in Oxford for five years say to me Oh my gosh you captured Oxford beautifully So I try to spend the time I talk to people in the town I get feedback from people For me I have to get the place just as right as I get the characters I wouldn t want to let anyone down SM As an indie author your turnaround time for publishing is unmatched What keeps the creative juices flowing SV I remember sitting in a History of Maryland class in high school I have a doodle I wrote that says I want to be an author one day I don t know what it was about the teacher but she told all these stories about Maryland She was a really good history teacher I thought Someday I want to write something so I did After writing my first book I just loved that I was finally fulfilling my dream that I thought about in high school I just want to be a storyteller Once Little Milestones gets out of my head something else will pop in I just love it I love the whole process I love seeing the story come to fruition Even if I have a small audience I don t really care I m just doing it because I love it SM If you had to pick a favorite of the books you ve written which would it be and why SV Hm that s so hard I really love Inn Significant It had something none of my other books had because I had to do research about the Depression era so that one pushed me a little bit I had to look and see what people were wearing I had to see what a cloche hat was Like what s a cloche hat from the 1930s If you forced me I would say Inn Significant because of the history aspect of it It s kind of like asking Who s your favorite child I like them all for different reasons SM You ve also co written a textbook on event planning and edited a commemorative Are you still open to other paths SV I d like to get into historical fiction and fantasy Writing a textbook is the hardest thing I ve done It s unbelievably time consuming It takes me hours to do the research The academic writing is strenuous and not fun for me I do it but my other books are fun Academic writing is work but I love that I have an academic textbook to show for myself and I love that we were the first to take communications theory and attach it to event planning SM What can we expect from you next as an author SM What I might do for a little while is write some short stories and see where that takes me If you write a short story and you really like the characters it could become a novel That s what short stories can do for you I was watching clips of Game of Thrones yesterday and thinking it might be cool to write about a queen and a castle and really cool things about contemporary issues but in medieval times I think it might be fun I don t know if I could pull it off but It s kind of intriguing I wrote a ghost story in my short stories and I had two people write to me and say Could you turn that ghost story into something It s a really cool ghost story I thought Eh Dickens already did that Be sure to pick up Verni s fourth and latest novel Little Milestones To stay updated on future releases connect with her via her website www stephsscribe com S ITPS WE SERVE WE SUPPORT WE STRENGTHEN Life Made better TM We are committed to our community 201 N WASHINGTON STREET EASTON MARYLAND 21601 410 822 6110 EASTONUTILITIES COM PET PHOTO CONTEST Thank you to everyone who participated in the Picture Pawfect Pet Photo Contest Congratulations to the winner of the 50 gift card to Saint Michaels Pet Supplies and custom pet portrait painted by Griff Griffin Bill Whaley and his dog Mack VIEW TOP 10 RUNNER UPS ON SHOREMONTHLY COM ALL PHOTO SUBMISSIONS CAN BE VIEWED ON STARDEM COM CONTESTS S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 57

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EARTH DAY Celebrating the planet for 50 years BY AMELIA BLADES STEWARD Act or die This was the message of the first Earth Day on April 22 1970 according to CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite who reported on what was the planet s largest civic event Earth Day was started as a populist response to growing environmental concerns of the day specifically air and water pollution The early Earth Day organizers helped to found what today is a growing movement to combat climate change As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this April it is worth a look back on the origins of this day and its impact on environmental laws in the U S as well as a local connection and how the 58 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 anniversary will be remembered at one event on the Mid Shore HISTORY OF EARTH DAY The founder of Earth Day was Gaylord Nelson a U S Senator from Wisconsin who wanted to harness the energy of the anti war protest movement to put environmental concerns at the top of public consciousness April 22 was chosen for the date As it fell between spring break and final exams it was thought to be the best date to engage the nation s college and school aged students The event involved 2 000 colleges and 2 000 communities An estimated 20 million people protested a myriad of Above Women on a street in Washington D C are unwittingly positioned next to a woman in a gas mask during the first Earth Day on April 22 1970 Photo from WASHINGTONIANA D C Public Library Special Collections Right A vintage poster from 1970 and the one of the 2020 posters in circulation generation of environmental activists engaging millions of people worldwide LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS NIXON PHOTO PUBLIC DOMAIN First Lady Pat Nixon and her husband President Richard Nixon plant a tree in honor of the first Earth Day things oil spills polluting factories and power plants toxic dumps pesticides freeways the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife Perhaps biologist Barry Commoner stated it best during Cronkite s broadcast This planet is threatened with destruction and we who live in it with death We are in a crisis for survival According to the Earth Day Network earthday org In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of the consequences from either the law or bad press Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity Until this point mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health Coast to coast rallies that first year had an impact and successfully raised awareness about the state of our planet Earth Day has been credited with launching landmark environmental laws in the U S the Clean Air Act the Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts and even the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency EPA Many states and counties followed suit As 1990 approached a group of environmental leaders approached Denis Hayes the first Earth Day s national coordinator to organize another major campaign for the planet and to go global with the message The event mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries and lifted environmental issues such as recycling onto the world stage In 2016 the United Nations chose Earth Day as the day the historic Paris Agreement for Climate Change was signed As we approach Earth Day 2020 the theme has changed to climate action Earth Day Network president Kathleen Rogers comments We find ourselves today in a world facing global threats that demand a unified global response For Earth Day 2020 we will build a new Local arts advocate Busy Graham who lives in Royal Oak and is the Founder Executive Director of Carpe Diem Arts helped produce a major event Song of the Earth 40th Anniversary of Earth Day Celebration at the Music Center at Strathmore in April 2010 We had 125 singers ages 10 to 75 and another 25 musicians and dancers performing for an audience of 900 people she said The evening included the world premiere of Malcolm Dalglish s song setting of Wendell Berry s poem Violets Graham s personal connection to Earth Day goes back to her childhood Her father Richard A Graham re imagined his life at age 40 by leaving a successful career as a mechanical engineer and going into public service He was friends with Senator Nelson who paved the way for Graham s family to move from Wisconsin to Washington D C Dick Graham would join the Peace Corps staff soon after the agency was founded in 1961 by President John F Kennedy Sargent Shriver was the first director and Bill Moyers was the first associate director of public affairs She remembers After two years on staff as Shriver s deputy my Dad was asked to be the Peace Corps country director in Tunisia from 1963 to 1965 Two great years for our family I remain eternally grateful to Senator Gaylord Nelson for opening the door to a remarkable career for my father and a truly enriching experience for our family In 1965 Dick Graham was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as one of the first Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioners focusing on Latino and women s rights As EEOC commissioner he was approached by Betty Friedan for help in forming a national organization to promote women s rights He suggested she call it the National Organization of Women and was named the first Vice President an unlikely position for a man While Busy Graham s activism has been most visible in her commitment to the arts she has a deep passion for the environment which has grown out of several jobs she has held Her goal is to live responsibly with the smallest footprint possible and to promote environmental education in our schools through the arts Busy will be working with Ellen Vatne General founder and former director of the Avalon Theatre Suzy Moore and the Avalon Foundation staff and the Multi Cultural Festival Committee in producing this year s Multi Cultural Festival and Earth Day Celebration in Idlewild Park on May 2 See box below for further details I of course share the growing concerns about the global impact of climate change Evidence abounds that we are facing a very real crisis Graham states While looking ahead to the environmental challenges we are facing Graham comments that Slow andsteady wins the race might have been applicable 50 years ago when Earth Day was first founded but that now with climate change accelerating at an alarming rate we are going to have to pick up the pace in a big way for survival s sake S S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 59

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ATMOSPHERE CULT WITH PERSONALITY Cult Classic Music Venue brings a music scene to Kent Island STORY AND PHOTOS BY CAROLINE J PHILLIPS 60 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 Above The band Taylor Polynomial plays at the Cult Classic music venure earlier this year Opposite the exterior and taps at the brewery Live music brings people together and on Kent Island it s bringing them to a local brewery Nestled inside Kent Island s own Cult Classic Brewery lives a new music venue that connects the community to musicians from near and far There s not a bad seat in the house and a large stage high quality audio abilities and talented sound engineer make it the go to spot for local bands and touring musicians passing through the area Beer came first but Jesse McNew one of the managing partners and head brewers of Cult Classic Brewing soon realized that the drinkery had the space to build a dedicated music venue off the taproom A few months after the site opened in 2018 the stage went live For just over a year the sound space has enjoyed great music and successful shows You can grab one of Cult Classic s own local brews and spend the night listening to music in their cozy space It s a small intimate venue with no bad seats said McNew I want people to come and experience it the best they can Although many breweries feature live music to enhance the social vibe it s often an afterthought confined to a small corner At Cult Classic large doors and a box office separate the taproom from the venue McNew realized that not everyone who comes in for a beer wants to listen to the music We didn t come into it thinking we d have a separate space tuned for live music that is unique to the area it kind of just snowballed McNew said The venue is unique to a brewery environment because it was constructed with the music in mind McNew realized that they needed to create a space that would attract the bands not just the audience When you have a space that the band likes a stage that has what they want a space that sounds good and a talented sound engineer that can make them sound great then the bands are happy he said The talent also has a separate outside entrance restrooms and their own green room This attention to detail has led to a wide variety of musical acts joining the lineup at Cult Classic While they ve seen a good amount of local talent on the stage the venue has also attracted touring bands from nearby Baltimore Washington D C Annapolis and nationwide It s quite the treat to pop into one of the many shows in their weekly lineup and one can hear a variety of genres at the Kent Island haunt Most weekend nights there are lively shows and oftentimes there are Thursday or Sunday night bands bookending the Friday and Saturday crowds One of the most wellattended evenings are their Open Mic Nights on Tuesdays which is open to any burgeoning musician or musical act in the community Tickets are affordable which makes it easy for true blue fans to attend different shows several times a week When asked what s next for the venue at Cult Classic Brewery McNew has a lot of ideas Just this month the team received an updated liquor license which allowed for a new kitchen and a fresh variety of food and beverage choices McNew says that with a space like this we hope to get more and more popular bands that come through the area but that comes with time The options are pretty endless What you can expect when you walk into the venue at the Cult Classic Brewery is to hear a new band a new sound or even your favorite local band playing to a crowd McNew says that the focus is on the viewing experience We want this room to be a focus on the music We look to makes the bands happy which makes the fans happy S S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 61

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WILD TALES SPACE INVADERS The growing problem of the predator snakehead fish BY BRADY KEEFE A fisherman catches a 24 inch snakehead from his fishing kayak in the Twin Ponds at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge 62 S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 snakehead fish I thought it was a fish with a head similar to that of a snake What could be so terrible about that After doing some more digging as any good detective would do what I found was both concerning and interesting First the snakehead can breathe out of the water The fish has an organ that allows it to breathe air like humans This does not mean that the fish is going to sprout legs the organ is used primarily when the fish needs to migrate Second it is a predator and a threat to the Chesapeake Watershed and the surrounding rivers It s high up on the food chain and known to feed on smaller fish like the small mouth bass Both of these facts surprised me but what I found most shocking is that the fish was found in Maryland in 2002 and the threat of this fish hasn t lessened at all How did we get here In 2002 the snakehead fish was discovered in in a pond in Crofton Maryland The pond was poisoned and all the fish along with the snakeheads were killed Problem solved right Wrong No one knows how the fish spread into the Watershed The Delmarva Peninsula came up with a plan Catch and kill all of the invasive species With no limitations to how many snakeheads one could catch and kill we again assumed that the problem was solved Wrong again It is now 2020 and the fish has not gone anywhere In fact the population of the fish has increased while other species like the yellow perch and bluegill have significantly decreased Something needs to be done with this fish COURTESY PHOTO When I first heard about the In talking to many locals I got one of two reactions The snakehead is delicious and I wish more places carried it Or It s ugly Why would I eat such a creepy fish It even breathes on land and has teeth No way Sympathizing with the second reaction I found myself thinking about the first If the states of Maryland Virginia and Delaware encouraged anglers to catch and kill as many snakeheads as they want why don t I see this fish at my local supermarket I believe the answer is simple We re afraid of both the name of the fish and the threat it poses to the local wildlife I propose that instead of being afraid of the predator that we see it food In the Caribbean the once unwelcomed lionfish has been transformed into a commodity for consumption I spent four years in Pensacola Florida for college When I was there many restaurants had lionfish on their menus The ability to catch and kill the lionfish not only benefitted the environment but also brought in great revenues to the places that sold the exotic fish The Eastern Shore shouldn t be afraid of a fish just because it is ugly or can survive on land for a short time Markets and restaurants in D C sell the fish at a premium and I suggest that fishers of the Eastern Shore do the same thing There are several ways to quell the fear of the snakehead fish First let s rename the fish Many places simply call it by its scientific name Channa on their menus Others give it names like Potomac pike or northern snakehead Second focus on how delicious the fish can be It s clear that the snakehead fish needs to be stopped from disturbing the delicate ecosystems of the Bay We can better protect the Bay by using the fish as a source of food and educating each other that it is not something to fear but something to use to our advantage S Serving Talbot Kent Queen Anne s Dorchester Counties We are offering a 10 discount on our yearly service contract if signed up by April 15th We do custom pool designs pool installation renovation and maintenance A local family owned and operated company S H O R E M O N T H LY CO M A P R I L 2 0 2 0 63

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Shore April 2020

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