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AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

From noon till 8 pm on June 13th, the 3rd annual Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival fundraiser unfolded on the open-air stage at the Severna Park Taphouse, highlighting the talents of the best local bands as well as Nashville recording artist MIGGS who headlined the event. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin Sells’ daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and other cancer-related charities. 

Throughout the day, Katherine’s Light Foundation co-founders Larry and Robin Sells could be spotted at the back of the tent grooving to the music along with Robin’s sister Heather Fern. Among the performers featured at the 2026 KLF Music Festival were the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, and Billy. Headlining the event, Nashville recording artist MIGGS and his band were back by popular demand.

The Sells said they were hopeful their organization would exceed last year’s fundraising total. They were well on the way thanks to a number of sponsorships from local businesses. A sizeable banner acknowledging and thanking the sponsors could be seen on the way into the event.

The weather couldn’t have been better on June 13th with comfortable temperatures and a nice breeze. Thus, many music fans watched and listened to the entertainers from the Taphouse’s outdoor bar and eating areas.

Because the music festival is an all-day affair, attendees come and go throughout the entire afternoon, so you never know who you’ll run into. It was fun connecting with Amber Kaltz and her husband Justin whom we hadn’t seen for a while. Amber is Communications Coordinator for St. Martin’s in-the-Field Episcopal Church. She has also worked as a volunteer for the annual AAUW Anne Arundel County Fall Book Sale.

Music festivals are always colorful, and this one was no exception. Spotted among festivalgoers with his handsome Beauceron (a sheepdog breed originating in France) was Zach Kiehne and friend Cynthia Price.

Outdoor sponsor pavilions were full throughout the day as well – the one seen below headquarters for Gold Sponsor Landmark Roofing‘s employees, family, and friends. We’d see more of them later.

Seeing that music festival headliner Miggs Rangel originally hails from Texas, it wasn’t surprising to see a fan wearing cowboy boots. Katrina Aaron’s boots were, indeed, striking. We spotted her from a distance then caught up with her and met the rest of her party including Haley Crause, Nicole and Reg Anderson, and Cashout Nizk.

Midway through the music festival Larry Sells took the stage to make an exciting announcement.

“We’re very pleased to tell you that we’ve had a breakthrough in research by scientists and UCLA. We funded two studies there for $100,000 each. We’d asked that they specifically study Katherine’s Neuroendocrine tumor cancer,” Sells said. “One of the studies centered on P-Net tumors – the Neuroendocrine tumor that throws cancer cells into the liver. They found a protein in P-Net tumors that can lead to early detection of the cancer. At the present time, most Neuroendocrine cancer patients, like Katherine, cannot be diagnosed with the disease until stage four. The discovery of the protein allows for diagnosis at earlier stages and the development of new drugs and treatments.”

The news was greeted with considerable applause. Many festival attendees knew Katherine Mueller and realized how pleased she would be that the fledgling fundraising efforts she started were continued and expanded by the foundation and produced such a stunning result.

The music went on, of course, and the day spun by faster than imagined. Soon we noticed people grabbing snacks and beverages and finding seats beneath the tent as the stage was being set up for country music star Miggs Rangel’s first set.

A U.S. Air Force veteran turned Nashville recording artist, MIGGS is one of country music’s rising performers. He’s made a place in the music industry, landing on some of the hottest country playlists and racking up thousands of streams. He’s built quite a fan base with his high-energy shows and hits like “PARTY RIDE,” “Promised You Forever,” and radio hits like “One Sip Away.”

People were still streaming into the performance area as MIGGS and his band took the stage. The music was joyful and infectious prompting impromptu dancing by Stacey Rinker, Courtney Caaughy and Sue Gauthier who owns The Cottage, one of the music fest’s Platinum sponsors.

Afterward Sue and Courtney retreated to the Landmark Roofing pavilion to be congratulated by the company’s owner Artie Hendrickson and wife Missy while Sue detoured to join friends in the crowd.

Miggs Rangel and band ended their second set in fine form and the Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival ended on a positive note with the Sells and foundation board members fairly certain the event had been a financial success.

We caught up with Larry Sells a day later and learned that the music festival raised $84,000 besting last year’s total. According to Sells, the money will be distributed in its entirety to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation, the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore for the care of Neuroendocrine cancer patients, the Wellness House of Annapolis,  Anne Arundel Community College for the Katherine Mueller Nursing Scholarship, a Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation fund to help cancer patients who can’t afford transportation, food or medications and SPAN, Inc.

Severna Park’s 250th Birthday Independence Day Parade to be spectacular

Next Saturday, July 4th, the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating America’s 250th Birthday with its 2026 Independence Day Parade. The parade will assemble and step off from the parking lots of St. Martin’s in-the-Field Episcopal Church and Our Shepherd’s Lutheran Church and proceed down Benfield Road to the Judges’ Stand on Riggs Avenue at the center of Olde Severna Park arriving at 10 am. The parade will last until noon.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Successful Women In Business co-chairs Nancy Greer, Jennifer McAndrews and Carol Heckman were delighted when Maher’s Florist owner Kim Maher Wharton volunteered to host the June 9th networking event the trio was planning. The Pasadena flower shop had undergone an expansion and remodeling and they knew it would provide a beautiful setting for their late-spring get-together.

According to committee co-chair Greer, the Successful Women In Business (SWIB) group was created by the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce more than a dozen years ago to offer professional women opportunities for networking and development. Not only has SWIB been GSPACC’s most enduring standing committee but has also been its most popular. The group holds ten meetings each year with that most often highlight a member’s business. However, they’ll also host breakfasts, lunches or evening events to which speakers are invited and frequently coordinate with other chamber committees on more ambitious undertakings.

From the moment the networking event attendees spied the flower shop from the parking lot Tuesday evening, they were charmed. They loved the clever message spelled out on the chalkboard.

Once inside, they couldn’t help but admire the shop’s expansive new product line. Debbie McTammany, owner of True You, Navigating Through Change and Jessica Terenyi, who owns JK Organizing, LLC, chatted about their businesses while admiring the gift items, jewelry and potted flowers and plants around them.

Other attendees were drawn to sections featuring clothing, insulated travel cups and mugs and toys including adorable teddy bears. There was also a “Bloom Bar” where florist shop customers can pick out their own stems for purchase.

Having found a nice place to hang out in front of refrigerated cabinets filled with pre-designed bouquets, SWIB members Jen Bonk, Robin Torres and Whitney Kerridge traded conversation between sips of wine. (To one side of a long counter, the Maher’s Florist staff laid out a tasty buffet of small sandwiches and finger foods with wine and other beverages.)

Conversation groups formed everywhere. Longtime SWIB members Donna Butman, owner of Assisted Living Locators of Annapolis and Chamber CEO Liz League, welcomed Laura Cooper who has recently started Ciao and Cheers, LLC Tour Guides.

Stepping behind the counter into the heart of the business, we were wowed by three tubs of casual bouquets comprised of sunflowers and other summer blooms waiting to be given to each SWIB member as she left.

Moving on, we came upon staff member Linda Bookhammer and floral designer Cindy Dolly who was still wearing her apron and ready for action. Fun to talk to, the pair noted that the shop had been busy handling orders for graduations, weddings and other spring celebrations.

Time flew by and, eventually, the co-chairs gathered everyone in a large circle. Nancy Greer stepped forward to make introductions beginning with Maher’s Florist’s owner.

“I’d like to introduce Kim Maher Wharton and thank her for hosting our event,” Greer said. “Kim’s mother Winnie started Maher’s Florist in 1977 right here in Pasadena nearly five decades ago. Winnie was one of the first people to join the Pasadena Business Association. Kim will tell us more later. But, first, we’ll do introductions of everyone else.”

“Moving around the circle, we’ll give each an opportunity to introduce herself and mention her business. I’ll start. I’m Nancy Greer from Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi.”

Cochair Jennifer McAndrews was next from Assisted Living Locators of Annapolis followed, in turn by Stephanie Fountain from Arundel Federal Bank, cochair Carol Heckman from Trillium Wellness, Liz League from the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber, Lauren Brewington from GYMGUYZ, Jen Bonk from Cummings & Co. Realtors and several more.

Kim Maher Wharton and staff were also given the floor.

“I can’t say enough about my staff who’ve been a blessing since we started in 1977. The staff is my heart and soul. They ‘bring it’ every day. We do everything from weddings to funerals and everything in between. I’d say our business is filled with emotion because you’re really happy or you’re really mad and the staff is great at accommodating any request.

“I have a couple of designers who have been with us for over 30 years. We’re like a family here. We all pitch in and everybody does everything together.”

In answer to a question, Wharton added that the shop is unique in that they have a liquor license and can provide wine or champagne along with flowers. They use a lot of flowers from local farms that are fresh cut daily for bouquets and for the Bloom Bar they have for customers.

As is always the case, SWIB attendees then had an opportunity to make announcements if they wished. While Greer mentioned Jing Ying Institute’s upcoming Self Defense Workshop, League used the opportunity to talk about chamber events, the most important of which is the upcoming Severna Park Independence Day Parade which has our country’s 250th Anniversary as its theme.

The event concluded with the awarding of some fantastic door prizes donated by SWIB members. Winners were selected from a basket of business cards collected earlier by cochair McAndrews.

Most attendees lingered to shop and, of course, everyone loved receiving a bouquet of spring blooms and sunflowers from the staff as they left. The Successful Women In Business group will take a summer break but meet again in August. To follow their activities and upcoming chamber events, visit Home – Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce or Facebook.

Street Survivors Cruise Night to benefit Orphan Grain Train on June 26th

Street Survivors of Maryland will host a Cruise Night benefitting Orphan Grain Train on Friday, June 26th from 5 to 9 pm at East Park Shopping Center, 7900 Crain Highway in Glen Burnie. There will be a bake sale, a raffle and other a Chinese auction.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Anne Arundel County is rich with historical sites, many dating to our country’s earliest years. The National Register of Historic Places lists 109 properties and districts within the county, the largest proportion of them located in Annapolis or the South County communities of Edgewater, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Harwood and Shady Side. Residents of those communities have grown used to living with history dating as far back as the 17th century – none more so than members of All Hallows Episcopal Church, South River more commonly known as The Brick Church.

All Hallows Parish records date back to 1682 meaning that it existed prior to the General Assembly of Maryland’s Act of Establishment creating 30 Anglican parishes in 1692.

Constructed in 1710 as the parish church building, the modest rectangular structure seen in the opening photograph featured Flemish bond brickwork and a hip roof. In 1727, the interior was restored after being gutted by fire and the building was modernized in 1825 and again in 1885. When fire struck once more in 1940, a reconstruction restored the building to its 1710 appearance.

Standing next to The Brick Church is its bell tower with a bell dated 1727. The bell tower was donated in more recent years by Virginia “Billie” Owens in memory of Arthur Ronnie Owens, Jr. and his father Arthur R. Owens, Sr. who perished on the same day in 1976.

Now, as in the past, the church and grounds are very well cared for by the All Hallows Parish. Clustered closely around the church are some of the earliest graves dating back to Colonial times. Centuries of weathering have left many of them difficult to decipher.

There are also a number of ledger stones marking other graves even closer to the church. Several prominent London Town merchants are among those buried there. Though we didn’t spot it, Provincial Justice, Deputy-Governor and Lord High Sheriff of Anne Arundel Colonel William Burgess who donated 100 acres of his lands for the establishment of London Town is said to have been buried in the cemetery in 1686.

One cluster of stones seems to be dedicated to members of the Gassaway family. The ledger stone pictured immediately below is broken into four parts. Aided by the Genealogy Trails website, we were able to make out the first section which reads “In Memory of Capt. Thomas Gassaway Son of Colin Nicholas Gassaway who Departed this Life the 12th Day of September Anno Domini 1739. Aged 55 years 6 months & 22 days. Born ye 20th Day of February 1683.” The second section reads “Also in Memory of His wife Mrs. Susanna Gassaway Daughter of Captain Henry Hauslap who departed this Life the 24th Day of February Anno Domini 1740 Aged 58 years and 16 Days. She was born the 8th Day of February 1682.”

Captain Thomas Gassaway was Lord High Sheriff for the county and provided the land on which the church was built.

Lying nearby, in front of a church school building, is another cluster of graves including two more of those associated with the Gassaway family.

An ancient but better-preserved stone lying near the bell tower is dedicated to the memory of Samuel Peel of London Town, who died in 1733. On the same stone is also inscribed the name of Robert Peel, 1773, and above the names is a coat of arms.

All Hallows Church parishioners have experienced tumultuous times, depending on their faith to see them through many crises – most significantly the Revolutionary War which directly affected them. A Revolutionary War soldier, General Jonathan Sellman, lies in the All Hallows Parish cemetery beneath a ledger stone with a marker in his honor placed by the Washington Custis Chapter DAR and dressed by a simple bouquet of flowers and an American flag.

There are a number of other ledger stones. But there are also acres of upright headstones beneath ancient oak trees. Many are older but there are also more recent gravestones marked by flowers.

There are also many historical markers and signs on the property including a significant memorial plaque honoring slaves who labored in the construction and maintenance of the church.

All Hallows Episcopal Church is presently open for services only on Sundays at 11:00 am though you can take a self-guided tour anytime. But, here’s a lovely surprise. In addition to the Brick Church, All Hallows Parish maintains a chapel-of-ease at 864 West Central Avenue, in the historic district of Davidsonville. The Chapel was constructed from 1860 to 1865 and also has an amazing history that we’ll delve into at another time.

As our country is celebrating its 250th Anniversary, we’ll be bringing our readers more local history. For more information on All Hallows Episcopal Church and Chapel, visit Home | All Hallows Parish.

Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival this Saturday, June 13th

The Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival takes place this Saturday, June 13th at the Severna Park Taphouse from noon to 8 pm. The annual festival honoring the memory of Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. Entertainers appearing on the outdoor stage include the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. There will also be a succession of acoustic musicians entertaining indoors at the Taphouse. This year’s festival headliner is popular Nashville recording artist MIGGS. For information visit Katherine’s Light Foundation.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

It was stirring to observe audience members standing, hands over hearts, and singing the “Star Spangled Banner” led by Jan Holland as she stood in front of a color guard before The Rising Sun Inn in Crownsville yesterday afternoon.

The occasion was the Liberty Tree Dedication by the Maryland State Society Daughters of the American Revolution on the lawn of the historic site and house built by Edward Baldwin in 1753. The shovel was still in place beside the tree as guests from the Ann Arundel, Fort Severn, Mary Diggs Lee and Peggy Stewart Tea Party chapters of MSSDAR arrived along with guests from the Maryland Society Sons of the American Revolution.

About sixty guests were expected – so many guests that limited parking space meant many of them arrived by shuttles from a nearby church. They drifted in singly or in pairs to congregate beneath the shade of an enormous tree. The combination of beautiful weather and DAR members and regents’ sense of style meant the occasion was perfect for wearing fancy hats and flowing summer dresses.

In front of The Rising Sun Inn, musicians from the Monumental City Ancient Fife and Drum Corps not only provided an appropriate instrumental background while waiting for the event to begin but would later provide the event’s ceremonial music.

Inside the Inn, things moved apace as Ann Arundel Chapter members set up tables in the Tea Room draped with blue and white tablecloths accented by red flowers.

The women also set up a station for lemonade and iced tea in the reception area and laid out a buffet of fruit, cheeses and desserts in a corner of the original Tavern Room.

Time was fast approaching for the ceremony to begin at 2 pm. Meanwhile, it was fun chatting with guests. We met Christine West, a DAR member from the Peggy Stewart Tea Party Chapter in Eastport and an author who is writing a book on the 1649 Puritan settlement of Providence that eventually became Annapolis.

“The settlement actually started on Greenbury Point and expanded into the Whitehall and Chesapeake Bay areas and went as far north as Gibson Island and as far south as the West River,” West said. “The name ‘Providence’ given it by the Puritan settlers only lasted for a year as Lord Baltimore, who granted them the land, lost his wife Ann Arundel (pronounced Air-un-dale) that year and renamed the settlement after her. Obviously, her name lived on through the name of the city of Annapolis and the name Anne Arundel County.”

We later met Ann Arundel DAR Chapter members Cheryl Boyer and daughter Rebecca along with their guest Shirley Andrzyewski. The Boyers were very excited that their chapter was hosting such an important event and receiving a Liberty Tree.

We spoke with several other guests but, after a slight delay, the Monumental City Ancient Fife and Drum Corps gents began the welcome music signaling the beginning of The Liberty Tree Dedication program. Ann Arundel Chapter Regent Kris Jenkins started things off with Opening Remarks that were welcoming, informative and, at times, touching. She cited MSSDAR’s Tree of Life Project’s planting of Liberty Trees as a living symbol in the future of our hard-won freedoms by the men and women of our nation. Jenkins ended by observing that it is important while celebrating 250 years of America’s history, to reflecting on the efforts it has taken to maintain our liberty.

She next called forward Felicia Farr, Chaplain of the Fort Severn DAR Chapter for the Invocation followed by the Presentation of Colors from the John Paul Jones Chapter of the MDSSAR Color Guard. They stood behind Shannon Gerling-Patch, the Regent of the Fort Severn Chapter as she led the audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, The America’s Creed and The Preamble of the Constitution.

The Color Guard maintained their post until, as mentioned previously, Jan Holland, First Regent of the Ann Arundel Chapter, led the audience in singing the “Star Spangled Banner”.

Heather Barham, Regent of the Mary Diggs Lee Chapter introduced the many special guests in the audience and also introduced Maryland State Society Daughters of the American Revolution State Regent Liz Deering.

During Deering’s remarks, she observed, that The Rising Sun Inn was a most appropriate historic site to be gifted a Liberty Tree. Henry Baldwin, who inherited the property from his father Edward, served in the American Revolution and also supplied troops. She spoke about Liberty Trees as a beacon of resistance and unity in the years leading up to the Revolution and alluded to the revered Liberty Tree on the lawn of St. John’s College that was estimated to be more than 400 years old before being lost to a lightning strike during a storm.

“A scion was taken from that Annapolis Liberty Tree and grown into a seedling beside the original site,” Deering said. “It’s important to note that the seedling here was cultivated from that line sharing the same genetic heritage as that original Liberty Tree. In late 2024, MSSDAR acquired 13 seedlings – one for each of the 13 original colonies in preparation for our Legacy of Liberty Project. To mark the 250th Anniversary of our nation, we are planting them at historic and significant locations across Maryland. Only 20 to 30 seedlings are grown each year from 2000 seeds. We are especially grateful to be planting one here at The Rising Sun Inn. We hope it, too, will survive for 400 years.”

The tree dedication followed with the State and Chapter Regents participating. A letter from Maryland Governor Wes Moore was read by Peggy Stewart Tea Party Chapter Librarian Anna Boehk and a plaque unveiled marking the historic occasion.

The dedication of the Liberty Tree followed with DAR Regents Kris Jenkins, Shannon Gerling-Patch and Heather Barham scattering soil from all of the State’s DAR Chapters around the newly planted Liberty Tree.

A benediction by NSDAR Chaplain General Mernie Crane and the singing of “America The Beautiful” by the audience followed and the Liberty Tree Dedication ended with a three-volley salute by the MDSSAR Color Guard.

Guests were then invited into The Rising Sun Inn for refreshments and also invited to visit the Inn’s converted Carriage House to view The American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit which will be on display through June 13th. The exhibit was created by the American Battlefield Trust.

For information on the Traveling Exhibit and additional companion events through June and July, visit The Rising Sun Inn Crownsville, Maryland – Home.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Dampened by rain, Memorial Day weekend passed more quietly than usual for local families. Even the annual parade in Annapolis was cancelled by the inclement weather. The sun peeped through late yesterday, however, with the promise of better things to come as we move into an event-packed June.

In honor of the Nation’s 250th Anniversary, a Liberty Tree will be planted at Crownsville’s Rising Sun Inn Historic Site and Museum on June 3rd with a formal ceremony attended by dignitaries. The planting is part of an overall project by the Ann Arundel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to re-establish plants that would have been on the property when the Inn was built as a farmhouse in 1753 by Edward Baldwin. Edward’s son Henry, who inherited the farm, served in the Revolutionary War. The Baldwin family would have witnessed Continental troops marching from Baltimore to Annapolis on the road (now General’s Highway) in front of the home. (More, on the actual dedication and planting of the Liberty Tree, will follow in next week’s column.)

Later on June 3rd, the Corks for a Cause fundraiser benefitting the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center Foundation and NEXTGEN healthcare will be held at Homestead Gardens Severna Park from 6 to 8 pm with fine wines and foods to sample from the area’s finest purveyors.

Fast on the heels of those two events, SPAN, Inc. will be conclude its Silent Auction (which began online on May 26) with a Broadway Songfest Cabaret on Sunday, June 7th at St. Martin’s in-the-Field Parish Hall at 4 pm. This year’s Cabaret is the sixth created and performed by Laurette Hankins-O’Connell who is accompanied by pianist/singer Anita O’Connor. Hankins-O’Connell’s repertoire of Broadway songs, combined with lively banter, amusing anecdotes and occasional duets with O’Connor delight audiences. 

Tickets are $ 25 per person with 100% of net proceeds going to SPAN and may be purchased at the door or online at 2026 Broadway Songfest and Silent Auction – SPAN, Inc.

The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber will be producing or taking part in a non-stop schedule of events throughout June and early July. For ever-on-the-go Chamber CEO Liz League, June will be the busiest month of a busy year. One of the biggest events, according to League, is a Multi-Chamber Business & Bites By the River event being presented by the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce, the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce and the Pasadena Business Association at Yellowfin Steak & Fish House along the South River off Solomon’s Island Road.

Three days later, a Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s Successful Women In Business Happy Hour is being held at Maher’s Florist at 8905 Edwin Raynor Boulevard in
Pasadena from 4:30 pm through 6 pm. The group’s happy hours always tend to be fun. The happy hour/wine tasting pictured below was held at Cheers & Spirits in Arnold Station at the beginning of the holiday season in 2023.

June 13th will see another fine turnout for the Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at the Severna Park Taphouse. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin’s daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. A slate of entertainers gracing the outdoor stage include the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. There will also be a succession of acoustic musicians entertaining inside the Taphouse. This year’s festival headliner is popular Nashville recording artist MIGGS.

All of these wonderful June events are leading up to the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s 2026 Independence Day Parade on Saturday, July 4th with the theme “Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday”. It’s bound to be special.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

My reason for visiting Homestead Gardens Davidsonville this week was two-fold. I wanted to buy garden seeds and check out flower transplants. I’d been told there was now a “beer farm” at the garden center and my curiosity was piqued. What was a beer farm? Were the owners of Homestead using their acreage to grow hops plants (Humulus lupulus), the flowers of which are used, along with malt, in brewing beer?

The answer proved simpler than expected. Driving toward Homestead Gardens on Central Avenue, I could actually see a building with a sign reading “Beer Farm”. I pulled into the far end of the garden center parking lot opposite wrought iron fences and a handsome pair of gates protecting the picturesque complex – one that is fast becoming a major draw for locals and visitors from further afield.

Homestead’s familiar greenhouses and gardens lay just beyond it, and I’d be stopping there too. But, for the moment, an expansive walkway and pleasant gardens beckoned.

Though Tuesday afternoon’s temperatures were sizzling, I decided a tour was in order. Once through the gates, I found a handy signboard highlighting the Beer Farm’s hours of operation.

Noticing that the walkway veers off in several directions, I wandered down one of them and took in the vista that opened before me. A handsome bar and a shady porch filled with tables were ever so appealing, but I stopped first at a specially designed play area for children.

Parents with families would most definitely appreciate the Beer Farm’s play area. Conveniently close by is the Homestead barnyard – home to farm animals ranging from Miniature Scottish Highland Cattle and donkeys to goats and chickens.

Sauntering down the central walkway led directly to the shady porch where we found a well-informed young man named Connor tending bar behind an open window overlooking the entire property.

Indicating that he usually worked behind the scenes but was filling in as bartender for the evening, Connor was, nevertheless, quite knowledgeable about the operation. We learned from him that the Beer Farm at Homestead collaborates with the Brookeville Beer Farm in Montgomery County to bring a wide range of craft beers, ales and lagers to its patrons. (Believe it or not, the Brookeville farm does grow its own hops.)

Connor further observed that the busiest time at the Beer Farm are Thursdays through Sundays when a variety of food trucks are on hand. He helpfully pointed out the Beer Farm tent with additional seating for customers as well as an outdoor stage area where local musicians are featured Wednesdays through Sundays.

In a phone conversation later with Homestead Garden media representative Pam Finley, we learned that, in addition to craft beers, wines from a local vineyard are often available at the Beer Garden. She especially wanted to emphasize that the Beer Garden is frequently used for business and community meetings and events.

One last look at the Beer Garden convinced me to return with friends on the weekend. I admit that it was difficult to leave that shady porch but the gardener in me wanted to visit Homestead Gardens proper.

Like many gardeners, I love growing plants from seed as a pleasurable hobby and as a technique for saving money. The Homestead Gardens branches in both Davidsonville and Severna Park are two of three garden centers that carry remarkable selections of flower, herb and vegetable seeds. (Another is AA Co. Farm, Lawn & Garden Center in Pasadena.) I headed into the main store with high expectations and wasn’t disappointed. There was a veritable wall of seed packets to choose from. I brought several.

It’s sometimes easier to buy a pot or a flat of plants that particularly appeal to me. So, I wandered into the greenhouses to check them all out. I loved the annuals in pots, but they were $7.99 apiece. The scarlet dahlia’s seen below were so stunning, however, that I may come back for a pot.

As opposed to pots, the annuals in four-plant flats were $4.99 and were also quite pretty.

I passed on those since I’ve already started several pots of petunias to transplant from a packet of last year’s seeds. They’ll yield many individual plants, and it won’t be long till they bloom.

Herbs and veg from seed are a money-saver too. It’s so handy to have my kitchen garden herbs right outside my back door though some are in the ground as well.

The best thing about plants grown from seed is that they sometimes reseed themselves after being dormant over the winter. This spring seeds that fell from my dill plants produced new plants as did seeds from two different tomato plants.

I never did come across the veggie transplants at Homestead but, I did enjoy exploring the Pollinator Cafe which attracts birds and bees.

I may be stopping by Homestead Gardens in Severna Park on Wednesday for Corks for a Cause which is always a great event. See my reminder below.

Corks for a Cause on Wednesday, June 3rd at Homestead Gardens in Severna Park

This year’s Corks for a Cause fundraiser benefitting the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center Foundation and NEXTGEN healthcare will be held in the beautiful surroundings of Homestead Gardens Severna Park on Wednesday, June 3rd from 6 to 8 pm.

Hosted by Homestead Gardens and Fishpaws MarketPlace, the event will feature excellent food and wines from some of the area’s finest purveyors, an impressive Silent Auction and Live Music.

Tickets available for the Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival on June 13th

 Tickets are now available for this year’s Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at the Severna Park Taphouse on Saturday, June 13th. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin’s daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. Performers being featured at the 2026 KLF Music Festival include the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. The festival headliner is Nashville recording artist MIGGS who is back by popular demand.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Judging by the number of moms out to dinner on the Saturday evening before Mother’s Day, the annual holiday is as popular as ever. This observation was borne out on Sunday with many moms spotted in the crowd during the second of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails annual spring concerts at Hatton-Regester Green off the Baltimore Annapolis Trail.

Approaching the Green from the north, we heard the music before we spotted a sizeable number of people spread out across the hillside in front of the Green’s new stage enjoying the music of the popular duo Sparks and McCoy. Having brought their own lawn chairs and/or blankets, the crowd not only occupied the lawn below the Trail but was also spotted across it at the top of the hill.

Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails’ president Lauren Allen, who introduced Edward Sparks and Steve McCoy, told us the pair was chosen to appear in the organization’s 2026 concert series because they were a crowd favorite having been the featured artists 10 times over the years.

Surrounded by an impressive array of instruments including some beautiful acoustic guitars, a keyboard and a harmonica, Sparks & McCoy performed a program of classic rock.

Rain had been predicted for Sunday but Sparks and McCoy opted to press on with the performance anyway – especially since it was being held on Mother’s Day. We noticed several families that were very happy they did since they brought their Mother’s Day celebrations with them to the concert, picnic-style.

As it happened, rain held off through most of the concert scheduled to run from 4-6 pm but, with 15 minutes to go, raindrops began to fall and concert-goers reluctantly scattered.

Before leaving, we caught up again with Lauren Allen who told us the Friends were really pleased with the new stage constructed to replace Regester-Green’s 30-year-old pavilion which had fallen into disrepair. Used thus far, by the Seth Mitchell Band and Sparks and McCoy the stage is roomier, more conveniently set-up and seems better acoustically.

Allen reminded us that three concerts remain to be performed in the Spring Concert Series The concerts are free to the public and are scheduled to take place over the remainder of May. They include:

Sunday, May 17th – Guitarist/vocalist and bagpipe player Jeff Herbert

Sunday, May 24th – Ginger & the Other Dave with Ginger Hildebrand on guitar, violin and vocals and Dave Nolte on guitar.

Sunday, May 31st – Carribean-influenced Guava Jelly with their lead singer/songwriter Bridgette Michaels on guitar, Mike Edillon on bass and Dawn Madak supplying rhythm and vocals.

The concert series will resume in the fall with an additional five concerts. For updates on the spring concerts or information on those scheduled for autumn, visit Anne Arundel County Trails | The Friends of AACo Trails.

Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company Spring Craft Fair this Saturday

Early Heights Volunteer Fire Company is hosting a Spring Craft Fair this Saturday, May 16 from 10 am till 2 pm. According to Fire Chief Dave Crawford, 60 local vendors of all types will be participating across the grounds and inside the firehouse. The event is being held to raise money in support of the volunteer fire company’s construction of a new firehouse. In addition to artisan crafts and decor from vendors, there will be a variety of foods available for cash purchase.

For information, visit Earleigh Heights VFC.

Corks for a Cause to be held June 3rd at Homestead Gardens in Severna Park

Always one of Spring’s most fabulous fundraisers, the Corks for a Cause event benefitting the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center Foundation and NEXTGEN healthcare will be held at Homestead Gardens Severna Park on Wednesday, June 3rd from 6 to 8 pm.

Hosted by Homestead Gardens and Fishpaws MarketPlace, the event will feature excellent wines plus foods from some of the area’s finest purveyors, an impressive Silent Auction and Live Music.

Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at Severna Park Taphouse on June 13th

We have news from founders Robin and Larry Sells that tickets are now available for this year’s Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at the Severna Park Taphouse on Saturday, June 13th. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin’s daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. The music event is entirely a volunteer effort and every penny raised is given away. Thus far, the foundation has donated an astounding $210,000 to the aforementioned charities.

We’ve luckily had a preview from Larry of the performers being featured at the 2026 KLF Music Festival. Included are the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. The festival headliner is Nashville recording artist MIGGS.

Miggs (Rangel) appeared at the event for the first time last year and was so popular with the crowd that he was a shoo-in for this year’s top billing.

According to Sells, a silent raffle and live auction are planned for the festival as well as a 50-50 and there are more surprises to come. For information, visit the website www.katherineslight.org. Tickets and sponsorships can be found there.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

By the time I arrived shortly after noon, the Greater Severna Park Chamber of Commerce’s “Spring Local Fun Festival” was well underway. Row upon row of vendor tents could be seen from the crowded parking lots surrounding the event. I’d learned from Chamber CEO Liz League that an amazing total of 79 small businesses and organizations were participating in this year’s festival. She was also pleased that the event had drawn nine Gold Sponsors.

Drawn by the sight of all those tents and a continuous stream of music from the Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus and Bach to Rock Music School guitarist Em and deejay Max Smith, a sizeable crowd of families, dedicated shoppers and weekend day-trippers had already formed.

Entering the event from the far end, I was welcomed to Health & Wellness Row by Lore Goldstein and Krista Hernandez from the Chamber’s Wellness Business Connections Group. Lore is with Stop Stretching. Krista has taken a break from her company Felix Wellness as she and her husband are transitioning from active-duty life to civilian life and moving.

Businesses in the section of the festival dedicated to wellness ran the gamut from Griswold Home Care and the Women’s Clinic to GYMGUYS Annapolis.

Directly across from Health & Wellness Row was a section I dubbed Education Row with businesses and institutions like St. Martin’s in-the-Field Episcopal School, Mathnasium, the Play Street Museum, and The Learning Center among others.

There we visited the St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School booth overseen by Shop Local festival veteran Kira Dickson who is the school’s Director of Admissions. With its mix of information, games, giveaways and treats, the booth is always a popular stop. Dickson is seen below with St. Martin’s student Lola Westholm.

Spying the Flying Kiwi Ice Cream truck, I detoured around the front side of the tents to get a better look. We noted a good-sized line forming there made up primarily of families with children.

Continuing across the parking lot, I noticed the ASPCA Mobile Pet Unit drawing numerous families with children who loved looking in the glass windows at pets available for adoption. They also had fun petting the child-friendly pup held by a volunteer.

Just around the bend from the mobile pet unit, we found veteran festival participant Woofies of Annapolis, a pet sitting, dog walking and grooming service with Cindy Dedios at the helm. The Woofies booth is always popular with children and adults with pets. Dedios’ mix of information, advice, and lollipops works like a charm.

Circling back to the tents a little after 1 pm, I observed that the rows were becoming increasingly crowded with shoppers – especially those at the center of the event where the Franklin’s Toys and SERVPRO tents were located.

Having already completed their martial arts demonstration and performed their famed Lion Dance for the crowds, Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi owners Billy and Nancy Greer and their students were free to mind the tent, tout their upcoming summer camp, chat with friends and watch demonstrations by others.

We soon joined the Greers who were chatting with Katherine’s Light Foundation, LLC founder Larry Sells about the upcoming Katherine’s Light All-Day Music Festival taking place June 13th at the Severna Park Taphouse. Nancy Greer also clued me in to the fact that “winners” from the recent Children’s Business Fair organized by the Maryland Curiosity Lab of Acton School and the Chamber had been invited to participate in the Spring Local Fun Festival. We found four of those winners two rows away.

We first visited Hand Crafters who won for their wonderfully ornamental seashells they decoupaged with images from fairytales and nature. We next moved on to the Paper Garden booth where winner Jobie Schinnamon and her sister Charlotte chatted with us about the recycled papers she makes and the Fairy Wands she created to add interest to floral bouquets or houseplants.

We next visited a third winner – Bakery of Bottany’s Clay Wise who was accompanied to the Spring Local Fun Festival by his green-eyed cat in a cat carrier next to the cat grass. Clay does all the baking and some of the growing for the business he started with partner William Price.

Our timing was a bit off and we missed meeting the fourth winner, Colossus Cookie Company’s Kiriakos Katsikides whose cookies were selling like hotcakes and, according to the Greers who’d bought some, were delicious.

We’d earlier passed the KWON’S TAEKWONDO booth where several black belt students waited with Master Kwon while counting the minutes until time for their performance.

When the time finally came, the girls’ demonstration was powerful as they delivered the precise punches and kicks the Korean martial arts discipline is known for.

Moving on after watching the demonstration, I visited a row of tents featuring companies like Bayrise Builders and Park Modern Realty among others, convincing me that the construction industry is doing well.

I finally came to the final row and discovered that the entire Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services family came out to support the Spring Local Fun Festival. In fact, the company was one of nine Gold Sponsors for the event. Not only were owners Winsome Brown and sister Danielle Morgan Brown on hand but brother Tony Clarke was there as well along with staffers Mia and Micayla Alexander. Winsome Brown also introduced me to Lisa Knoll who recently joined the staff as Community Liaison.

Saving one of the best for next to last, we visited the table of Side Street Framers and Gift Gallery where daughter Jessica Chroniger was pinch-hitting for her mother Dawn Wilson.

Last in the row was yet another Shop Local event veteran Jody Buck whose Key Group real estate business has really taken off over the last few years. Shoppers absolutely loved Buck’s wonderful shopping bags with a choice of destinations to love as part of the design.

With 79 vendor tents, there was no way we could visit them all, but we hope we’ve given you a little taste. The event was the biggest and one of the best of the Chamber’s Shop Local events. We can only wonder if the next one, scheduled for October, will eclipse it. To see more, visit Home – Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

On Saturday, April 25, the Friends of The Rising Sun Inn held another of its popular teas in the dining room of the historic farmhouse in Crownsville built in 1753. Billed “Spilling the Tea” with author Mary K. Tilghman, the event was something of a twist on the organization’s traditional teas.

We found the author looking every bit the proper lady one might expect to find as a character in one of her historical fiction or modern romance novels. Wearing a stylish dress and jacket, Tilghman added interest by topping off her ensemble with a pale pink “fascinator”. She could be heard explaining to sisters Brigid and Gina Truitt and friend Cindy Myers exactly what a fascinator was.

Having served as a farmhouse, a tavern, a post office, stagecoach stop, public meeting place, and tax collector’s stop over its 273-year history, The Rising Sun Inn had fallen into a state of disrepair by the 20th century. Richard “Bo” Williams, the final private owner of the property, gifted it to the Anne Arundel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1916 on condition that it be preserved and maintained as a historical site or museum. The women took out a loan of $5,000 to start the restoration (equivalent to about $150,000 today) and had to figure out a way to pay for it. So, through the 1920’s, ’30’s and ’40’s, they operated a Tea Room until the onset of World War II.

Aware that “having tea at The Rising Sun Inn” in Crownsville had been a favored pastime for three decades, The Friends of Rising Sun Inn decided to bring the formal teas back in recent years.

Addressing the guests as Saturday’s event began, Friends Treasurer and NSDAR Regent Kris Jenkins noted that the service was slightly different from the Inn’s traditional teas.

“Our trays look a little different today as we’re serving a simpler ‘Elevensies’ tea with tea and sweets,” she said. “We’re trying to serve some of the things Mary will be discussing from her latest book ‘Love Letters & Gingerbread, An Annapolis Christmas’ like sweet rolls, fruit cake, German stollen, and tea cakes.”

Jenkins later revealed that the Friends had been looking for a different approach to teas. They had done numerous Tea and Tours and Tea and Trivia events over the years before hitting on the idea of combining a Tavern Talk and book signing and doing “Spilling the Tea” with authors.

“It would be similar to ‘spilling the beans’ with the writers revealing some of the methods they use for creating characters, plots or settings for their books,” she said. “As Mary K. Tilghman has been here before when two of her other books were released, we thought she would be ideal for our first “Spilling The Tea” event.

As tea got underway, we spoke to a few of the guests including mother and daughter duo Lauren and Nancy Strong.

Lauren noted that they were attending a tea at The Rising Sun Inn for the first time and enjoying themselves very much. Nancy added that they planned to come back soon for one of the docent-led tours of the house and grounds.

Before moving on to other guests, I stopped by a table set up for a book signing that contained a number of books written by Tilghman including “Divided Loyalties”, “Inn by the Lake”, “Fearless Summer”, “Step Into the Sunlight”, “Born on the Opposite Side of the Boardwalk”, “The Last Gift”, and her latest, “Love Letters & Gingerbread, An Annapolis Christmas”.

At a table near the front of the dining room, I found Mary Dushel, Leona Puglia, Adele Balefeld and Rachel Sullivan in lively conversation. Mary Dushel told us she and Mary Tilghman went to school together at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn.

Bearing in mind that the United States is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, I took a moment to speak with docent Sharon Beard who is also a docent at the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis. She and I agreed that the Severn Cross Roads area of Crownsville has preserved quite a bit of its history dating back to the 1700’s. In addition to The Rising Sun Inn, there is Historic Baldwin Hall and the schoolhouse behind it, the Baldwin family home Bunker Hill, the Anne Arundel County Free School dating back to 1723 and St. Paul’s Anglican Chapel built in 1861 with a cemetery that is much older.

Before long, it was time for author Mary K. Tilghman to take the podium and begin “Spilling The Tea” about her career as an author. A graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a Masters degree in English, Tilghman has been a reporter and editor of local newspapers, a freelance magazine writer, a travel writer, and travel blogger. As previously mentioned, she’s written six novels – a few of which she would read passages from while spilling the tea.

Tilghman’s talk would give a glimpse into the processes involved in writing books that are based on history. She noted that before you can begin writing a novel, you need to come up with a setting for the story. For historical fiction works, for example, she would rely on communities or towns she was already familiar with. Her research would include visiting homes or buildings that still exist and are preserved as they were in the past.

“I needed to come up with names for the characters in each book, starting with my first novel which involved five characters, the author said before reading a passage introducing them. “Names were important and, in some cases, I borrowed the names of family members.”

To further illustrate her point, she read passages authored by Charles Dickens referencing the naming of orphan Oliver Twist in the book by the same title. She added that her favorite Dickens character name was Uriah Heap from the Dicken’s novel “David Copperfield”.

“Curious about how modern-day writers came up with names for their characters, I asked some of my author friends,” Tilghman said.

“Their answers were wide-ranging and sometimes surprising. Some authors chose not to use the names of people they knew. Others admit to picking names from obituaries. One writer adopted a name she overheard while standing in line at her bank. Another writer famously asked for name suggestions on TikTok and said she got 78,000 views.”

Generally, the names Tilghman chooses are people she knows, first seeking their approval. If they are public figures, however, their names are already widely known, and she doesn’t feel a need to ask. She pointed out that names do have to match the era in which a book is set.

The novelist ended her talk by asking the audience for name suggestions. One suggestion was the name Beulah which seems to have fallen out of use in the distant past.

Before leaving The Rising Sun Inn, we caught up again with Kris Jenkins who was taking delivery of plants native to Maryland that would have been on the grounds surrounding the farmhouse as it appeared during the colonial era.

Jenkins assured us that the Inn has many events planned in conjunction with America’s 250th Anniversary including a Liberty Tree dedication ceremony and reception to be attended by four DAR chapters and an array of public officials on June 3. For tea aficionados, another Victorian BirthdayTea will be held on May 16. To follow upcoming events, visit The Rising Sun Inn Crownsville, Maryland – Home.

Spring Local FUN FESTIVAL this Saturday, May 2 at Park Plaza

The Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce invites the public to join them for the annual Spring Local FUN FESTIVAL this Saturday, May 2 at Park Plaza from 11 till 2:30 pm. A total of 71 businesses and community organizations will be represented as vendors. Health & Wellness, Food, Entertainment, Shopping, Music and more. For more information, visit Home – Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Known far and wide for their bountiful U-Pick Strawberry Fields, Chase’s Produce owners Marge and Bob Chase were delighted when April’s warmer than usual temperatures brought their strawberry plants into full bloom. Fields full of beautiful white blossoms with bright yellow centers shimmered in the afternoon sun on Monday, April 20th. But, on Monday night disaster struck as the Chases watched the thermometer fall into the 30’s by midnight. By morning, it had dipped to a freezing 30 degrees.

Too upset in the morning to even look at the crop, Bob went off on the tractor to mow a distant field. However, Margie Chase went off to the nearest field for a look. As she feared, the freeze harmed a majority of blossoms meaning the plants would need to rebloom.

By the time I met her at the produce stand for a prearranged interview about the planting, raising, and marketing of strawberries, Chase decided to check out other fields and invited me to ride along with her in their Gator farm vehicle. We took off across the farm and headed uphill, coming to a stop next to a field of strawberry plants in rows that stretched far into the distance.

At first glance, the plants before us appeared to be in bloom. However, after leaving the Gator and lowering a section of electric fence used to keep out the deer, Chase glanced down the rows in disbelief.

“We were overjoyed last week when the temperature rose into the eighties and our strawberry plants went into full bloom early,” she said. “We actually thought we’d be able to start selling strawberries the first full week of May. But last night’s freeze really hurt them, so they’ll now have to rebloom. Waiting for them to rebloom and ripen will delay us from opening by a couple of weeks. Our sales volume will be down as the quantity of berries will be less and our season will be somewhat shortened.”

Bending down, she cradled a cluster of the white blossoms in her hand.

“If you look at these blooms, you’ll see two of these with a pretty yellow center while the other two have brown centers meaning we’ve lost them,” Chase added. “This other bloom was starting to make a berry but it, too, is turning brown and is lost.”

We noticed that, now and then, blooms closer to the ground seemed unharmed and would likely produce fruit but there just wouldn’t be enough of it to offer customers. As we walked the field, Chase began explaining the complicated art of growing strawberries to me.

At the end of each strawberry season, Bob Chase will plow the berry plants under and plant a cover crop – generally of a Sorghum-Sudangrass mix which grows six feet in six weeks and puts a lot of nutrients back into the clay soil in the beds.

The beds are replanted over an irrigation system in the autumn after the produce stand closes for the season on either black or white plastic. Bob uses a piece of equipment known as a Water Wheel Transplanter that pokes holes in the plastic into which one or two employees (or sometimes Margie) riding behind insert a strawberry plant.

As soon as the transplants are in, electric fencing goes up to protect the plants from deer. The irrigation system beneath the rows assures the plants have enough water to get off to a good start. (Strawberries love water from beneath the ground but do not like overhead water which causes them to disintegrate or mold.) Then, with cool temperatures coming, cotton row covers are anchored over the plants with sandbags which keep winds from harming the plants and warm the soil beneath them between 5 and 8 degrees.

The row covers gathered beneath the produce stand came off only weeks ago and have yet to be permanently stored.

Jumping back into the Gator, Chase drove us further up the hill toward additional strawberry fields. The beds we next approached were covered with white plastic. The difference between white and black plastic is that white stays cooler and slows the berries down a bit while the black heats up faster so the berries are typically a week ahead of those grown under white.

“All of the strawberry plants you see in our earlier blooming beds are a variety known as Flavorfest that were bred at Beltsville Research Center. As always, we bought plants from two suppliers to assure we’d get a good result,” said Chase. “As you can see, plants in the lower part of the beds here that came from one of the suppliers did not do as well. They may have been adversely affected by a fungicide used to fend off a disease called Neopestalotiopsis (Neo-P).”

Moving further up the hill to another bed of Flavorfest berries planted in black plastic, we spotted Bob Chase in a distant field “bushhogging” a cover crop of rye before plowing it under for the second in a succession of sweet corn plantings he started earlier in the week.

Sweet corn is the crop for which Chase’s Produce is best known and customers come from as far away as Washington, D.C. to buy it. (The same is true for the strawberries.)

Looking over another field of strawberries ruined by the frost, we noticed some of the Sorghum Sudangrass mix still standing beyond it. Chase began to enlighten me about how the U-Pick strawberries system works.

Whichever employee is tending the produce stand will send customers up the hill to whichever field Chase is working in. She’ll give each person a red flag and assign them a row to pick in. She asks them to place the flag in the ground at the place they start to pick. That way, she’ll know where to place the next customer as she works her way down each row. Depending on weather conditions and the amount of ripe strawberries available, the Chases try to have a 9 am opening and a 2 pm in the afternoon close. They also try to schedule a couple of evenings to be open from 4 to 7 pm or 5 to 7 pm as some people like to bring their children after school.

Weekends are the greatest challenge when Chase’s Produce gets hit hard with customers. They generally need to limit weekend customers to one day – either Saturday or Sunday because they wouldn’t have the volume of berries to handle back-to-back customers two full days in a row. For information, people can follow their website at Chase’s Produce – Fruits and Vegetables, Fresh Produce or page at Facebook or call 410/798-1580 where they have updates.

Heading back down the hill we came to the closest strawberry field to the produce stand in which the Chases are growing a later variety of strawberry known as Malwinas which bloom and ripen in early June. Consequently, there were no blossoms to freeze and the plants look very healthy. The Malwinas should extend strawberry picking season by two or three weeks.

Work on the crop does not stop. The plants initially must receive fertilization through the irrigation system, spraying must be done to kill weeds and because additional weeds spring up in any punctured areas of the plastic, the beds must be hand weeded as well. Hopefully, the Flavorfest strawberry plants will fully recover and U-Pick strawberry season will get underway in mid-May.

Meanwhile, sweet corn plantings will occur every five days and squash, zuchinni, pepper, cucumber and ochra plants are being started in trays for transplanting in a couple of weeks. the stand will fully open for business at the beginning of July. Keep your eyes on the Chase’s Produce website for exact times and dates.

A reminder: “Spilling the Tea with author Mary K. Tilghman at Rising Sun Inn April 25th

The Friends of The Rising Sun Inn invites the public to its Tavern Talk & Tea event: Spilling The Tea with author Mary K. Tilghman at 1 pm on Saturday, April 25th. An Elevenses Tea with tea and sweets in the beautiful surroundings of the historic Crownsville Inn while the author discusses her book “Love Letters & Gingerbread, An Annapolis Christmas”. For details visit Spilling the Tea with Author Mary Tilghman.

Another reminder: Park Books will host a Founding Mother’s Tea on May 2nd

Park Books will be welcoming NYT Bestselling Authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie for a “Mother’s Day Tea” celebrating their newest release, A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams on Saturday, May 2nd from 3 to 5 pm. Enjoy afternoon tea with scones, cookies, and other treats. Tickets are $32 per person and include a copy of the book. For details, visit “A Founding Mother’s” Day Tea with NYT Bestselling Authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie | Facebook.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.