AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Fishpaw’s Marketplace
Arriving at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School in July to take over from Charlie Sachs as Head of School, Tony Shaffer likes what he’s seen of the spacious campus and the Severna Park community surrounding it. Now settled in, he can’t wait to welcome students back for the fall semester on August 31.
An amicable chat with the California native in his comfortable office, revealed that he has an extensive background as an educator that took him from coast to coast and to the deep South.
“I was born in Oroville, a very small town in northern California,” Shaffer said. “I kind of started my path toward being an educator in the deep South…as in living in South America while I was a high school exchange student. I returned home to get my undergraduate university degree at California State University, however, I got a taste of the other deep south while studying for my graduate degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (which included a year studying in Spain).”
After graduating from Vanderbilt, it was back to California for Shaffer where he began his teaching career as Modern Languages Chair at the Pilgrim School in Los Angeles – a private congregational school with a long history in the city. Soon opportunity beckoned, and he found himself below the Mason-Dixon line once more at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Augusta, Georgia where he served for 13 years as Director of Technology while simultaneously teaching and coaching.
On leaving that position, he headed west and became Middle Division Director at Westminster School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was his next posting that is most surprising.
“Believe it or not, I moved on from the Westminster School to St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta, Georgia where I spent the past six years, Shaffer said. “Like St. Martin’s-in-the-Field here in Severna Park, it’s an Episcopal school – one of four St. Martin’s in the country,” In an interesting play on words, the Atlanta St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church founded St. Martin’s Episcopal School while, here, we have St. Martin’s-in-the Field Episcopal Church founding St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School.
The new headmaster is impressed that the significant expansion of St. Martin’s student body due to the fact that the school stayed open during the COVID epidemic through 2020 and 2021 has continued this year.
“The trend has continued,” he said. “Those families are finding something here that they weren’t finding before.”
He noted that public schools have a different mission (his wife works for a public school) which is to serve every student who lives within the footprint of that school. It is very challenging and the opposite of finding a school that matches a student’s aptitudes and his family’s values.
“That’s why I’m an independent school person. I like a mission-driven school,” said Shaffer. “What drew me to St. Martin’s-in-the-Field was its mission, as an Episcopal school, to build a student’s compassion, confidence and character. I also like the school’s Pre-K to 8th grade model where we keep things smaller. We get to know all of our students and see them as individuals. We also have great academics for all our kids that enable them to thrive in incredibly competitive high schools and colleges.
Shaffer was somewhat surprised to learn that he’ll not only be welcoming students when school opens, he’ll also be welcoming a bevy of new teachers. St. Martin’s is known as a school for teachers who love to teach, so the school has suffered none of the staffing shortages being experienced in the public-school sector.
A welcome change is that students will not be required to wear masks this year and COVID protocols have pretty much ended. Another possible change has to do with transportation. Since most students come from the greater Severna Park area, they are driven to school by their parents. However, more students are coming from greater distances these days, (as much as 45-minutes away). For the first time, the school is exploring contracting a bus service for a few areas.
Aside from emphasizing the importance of St. Martin’s middle school students and celebrating them when they are sometimes overlooked, Shaffer said he’ll primarily use his first year to observe and learn more about the school before considering any changes. He looks forward to visiting with students in their classrooms or art and science labs and enjoying the beautiful campus that surrounds it.
Liquor Board decision greeted with relief by local spirits sellers
As we announced last week, we found out on Wednesday, August 19 that the Anne Arundel County Board of License Commissioners denied the application for a liquor license for a proposed liquor superstore called Robinson Liquors to have been located along Ritchie Highway at Robinson Road.
The liquor board’s decision followed two hearings to consider arguments by Robinson Liquors, LLC owner Andrey Nikolaev and a lawyer representing 24 liquor stores within a 5-mile radius of Severna Park that opposed the application. They included Dawson’s Liquors, Harbour Wine & Spirits, Severna Park Wine & Spirits, Goska’s Liquors, Corwell & Son Liquors, Magothy Wine & Spirits and Fishpaws Market Place. (Five are pictured below.)
Dawson’s Liquors in Olde Severna Park 
Harbour Spirits on Benfield Rd. 
Severna Park Wine & Spirits in Severna Park Market Place
Fishpaws Marketplace on Ritchie Highway in Arnold.
Goska’s Liquors on B&A Blvd. off Ritchie Highway.
Determined to fight the effort together, a core group of seven retailers displayed petitions on their counters collecting many hundreds of signatures in opposition. The petition was also opposed by the Greater Severna Park Council.
We’ve since gotten reaction from three of the small, independent, family businesses that would have been adversely affected by approval of the license. We began with Fishpaws Marketplace owner Kim Lawson who spoke on behalf of all the shops.
“The owners are extremely happy,” Lawson said. “They all felt that we put on a good case. We believe the board made a good decision for the community and our local store owners.”
Nick Cipriano, who owns Dawson’s Liquors along with his Aunt Jo Ann Polk and his brother Danny, expressed the sense of relief his family felt on hearing the board’s decision.
“We were nervous because of the effect such a store so close to us would have,” Cipriano said. “We didn’t feel it would cause us to close our doors because we’re such a staple in the neighborhood. But a retailer with such a large footprint would have had tremendous buying power and could undercut our costs. That would definitely affect our business. We’d basically have had to alter some of the benefits we have for our employees like health insurance and other perks.”
Cipriano added that he was glad to see that, even though the local spirit shop owners were competitors, everyone teamed up and split the bill for a lawyer who represented their concerns very well. He was further pleased that so many people signed the petitions and about 60 Severna Park residents showed up at the hearings to support them.
“What kept us on edge was the fact that it took 3-1/2 months for the decision,” he said. “It should have taken a few weeks had the county gone over the case before the hearing. However, they didn’t go over it until after the hearing causing us concern that they might be prepared to grant the license.”
“You could say we were pessimistic. But, in the end, the result was unanimous – a three to zero verdict based on pretty much everything our lawyer explained – from the number of liquor stores already existing to a heavier traffic flow and the location’s proximity to schools. When we heard the decision, there was a unanimous sight of relief.”
At Goska’s, owner Kevin Sosnowski also breathed a sigh of relief on learning of the decision. The family-owned business founded 61 years ago is closest to the proposed location of the superstore being directly across Ritchie Hiway from it and would have definitely been impacted.
“I didn’t see the hearing which was on Zoom last Tuesday because I was working so I didn’t learn about the decision till that night. Word of it was spreading fast,” Sosnoski said. “That was such good news. We’ve all seen what happens to our community pharmacies, grocery stores and stationery and hardware stores when massive stores come in that can’t be competed with. We knew our futures were at stake.”
In view of the fact that his business is being affected by inflation and recessionary pressures, he said he’s pleased there is now one less thing to worry about.
Woods Church prepares to celebrate Kick-Off Sunday on September 11
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church’s annual Kick-Off Sunday Picnic will be held this year following worship services on Sunday, September 11th from 12 noon till 2 pm. According to Woods’ Associate Pastor Nancy Lincoln Reynolds, the picnic will be held across the church lawn where tables for various ministries will be set up.
Church volunteer Karen Lerario added that there will be entertainment, games and activities for children, an opportunity to explore Wood’s lovely gardens, and boxed lunches for one and all. She added that, as always, congregation members and their friends and neighbors are welcome to attend. For information on the event, visit Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org).
Around The Park Again is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. which carries fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods. Tastings for various wines, beers and liquors are held almost daily and listed at Event Calendar in Arnold, MD 21012 – Fishpaws Marketplace
