Author: wingsorb@aol.com

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services

The strains of music from the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” echoed from the sanctuary of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church as a rehearsal for the show got underway last Saturday afternoon. The award-winning Broadway production, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, debuted in 1971 and remains popular 52 years later.

About half of the 40-member cast – a mix of principals, understudies and ensemble members – was on hand to rehearse specific numbers. The show has no spoken dialogue and everything is sung. With only a handful of rehearsals left before the musical’s March 24th debut, a lot of time was spent on Saturday working on the choreography of the dance sequences and general movement by the actors.

The show’s director, David Merrill, met with the cast onstage to give them a rundown of the scene they were about to rehearse. He next watched actress Emily Sergo, who plays Judas Iscariot, perform the show’s first number “Heaven On Their Minds” while assistant director Elysia Merrill (David’s wife) photographed her from different angles. The couple’s beloved Boxer dog Gisla, who attends every rehearsal, watched attentively from a comfy spot on the center aisle.

At the back of the room, Woods Church volunteer Jacquei Shade, whose son Thomas is in the production, was lending a helping hand where needed.

Sergo’s performance was enthusiastically received by her fellow actors waiting offstage.

As the rehearsal progressed, various parts of the production demanded on-the-spot instruction from choreographer Elysia Merrill who carefully coordinated the movement and placement of each actor from one scene to the next.

The cast’s entrance for the number “What’s the Buzz”, pictured above, was rehearsed several times before they segued into a segment highlighting the dancers. As the beat picked up and the actors receded toward the wings, the dancers moved front and center.

Behind them, Sarah Kent, who plays Mary, and cast member Dillon McCarrick, the understudy for the role of Jesus, sat on a platform while discussing the script.

The creative and innovative productions staged by Merrill, Woods’ Director of Music and the Arts, generally attract sizeable audiences. To accommodate them, the church uses its spacious sanctuary as a theater with the aisles on either side standing in for wings. The stepped altar area doubles as a stage and there is ample floor space.

When dance became the focus of the “What’s the Buzz” number, choreographer Elysia watched with intense concentration and occasionally interrupted the routine to offer a suggestion.

The dancers act as a bridge between scenes and play a pivotal role in moving the plot forward. However, three pieces of music, “Simon Zealottes”, “The Temple” and “Superstar” are exclusively dance numbers.

Loosely based on the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, “Jesus Christ Superstar” was controversial when it debuted on Broadway because of its unconventional portrayal of Jesus, its sympathetic treatment of Judas, its skipping of the resurrection and, among other things, its rock-based score.

As the rehearsal evolved into another scene, an impromptu script conference was needed between Elysia and actors Erica Snipes, Dillon McCarrick and Sarah Kent before they moved into place.

The actors worked on scenes featuring Jesus, using two platforms that will be disguised as scenery during the actual shows. According to the Merrills, Woods Church has a wonderful prop and set builder team.

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“Our prop master is Nancy Bishop and our set builders are Pete Bishop and John Dawson,” said David.  “We do not cover or mask the set so we must move it completely out of the sanctuary for church services or special events. John McLaughlin, our properties director, (a guard in the show) is good at setting up and tearing down the set with help from the cast.”

Elysia added that Susan Bohlman is the show’s head costumer and has two other volunteers working with her on outfitting 40 actors – all of whom can’t wait to see what they’ll be wearing.

When rehearsal drew to a close we caught up with one of the youngest actors, Violet Thompson, who is part of the ensemble and also plays a leper. The 15-year-old is a skilled, enthusiastic and expressive dancer. We inquired if she’d had other acting experience.

“Yes, I’ve done theater my whole life,” Violet said. “In addition to appearing in some of the Woods’ productions, I’ve been in a number of Jennifer Lee Kraus’s Theater In The Park shows.”

We caught up with actors Sarah Kent and David Thompson, who is playing Peter, while they were helping Merrill fold platforms prior to stowing them away.

Sarah, who is Woods’ Director of Contemporary Music, said she felt that the rehearsal went well in spite of having just half the cast to work with. She was pleased that the “What’s the Buzz” sequences were coming along nicely.

“I’ve really learned to trust David and Elysia,” Kent said. “It seems like I’m always wondering ‘how are we ever going to pull this off?’ The costuming, for example, hasn’t come together yet and I have no idea what I’m going to wear. But then… we always do pull it off.”

Kent reminded us that there will be six performances of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on two consecutive weekends on March 24, 25 and 26 at 7:30 pm and, again, on March 31, April 1 and April 2 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 and may be ordered by visiting http://www.woodstix.org.

Woods Church brings back its annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner on March 17

Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church volunteer Karen Lerario dropped by the “Jesus Christ Superstar” rehearsal to share some special news.

“For the first time since the COVID pandemic, Woods Church is bringing back its popular St. Patrick’s Day dinner on March 17th at the Severna Park Community Center from 5:30 to7:30 pm,” Lerario said.

“The dinner will be catered by Park Deli instead of prepared by the Woods Church kitchen coordinator and volunteers who prepared St. Patrick’s Day fare in previous years. Park Deli has been generous to us in setting the price for adult dinners at $20, with children 12 and under $10 and a maximum price for a family dinner $60.”

The dinner will be held in the community center’s Andy Borland Gymnasium which will be decorated in St. Patrick’s Day greenery. The Woods Church Childrens Ministry is making decorative screens, one of which features a rainbow with a pot of gold.

Lerario says the menu will feature traditional St. Patrick’s Day foods including Bangers and Mash and Corned Beef and Cabbage.

There will be Irish music, a performance by the Crawford Family Celtic Dancers and leprechauns to entertain the diners. The community is welcome. Tickets may be purchased online at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org). For information, call 410-647-2550.

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.”  

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.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services

“Since Toys R Us went out of business, there are very few places where you can buy toys,” said Jack Cook the owner of 2ND CHANCE TOYZ at 6 South Ritchie Highway in Pasadena.

Over the past couple of years Around The Park Again has observed that affordable toys are harder to find, so it was a pleasant surprise to spot the 2ND CHANCE TOYZ shop from the stop light at the corner of Ritchie Highway and East West Boulevard.

Curious, we stopped to check it out and found it stocked with thousands of toys. The exact same thing happened to customer John Pylypec from Odenton who we found browsing the shelves of Matchbox cars.

“I was cruising down the highway and stopped at the light and there it was, 2ND CHANCE TOYZ,” Pylypec said. “I’d discovered the shop on Google maps when it was in Glen Burnie about a year-and-a-half ago and had always meant to stop by. However, I didn’t and thought I’d missed the opportunity. I’m really excited to discover it here and finally have a chance to come in and look around. They have a lot of things I like.”

Pylypec said he’s something of a collector of vintage toys. It was clear from the length of time he took examining every shelf and the full shopping bag he left with that he’d done well adding to his collection.

Pylypec was one of many collectors and hobbyists who frequent 2ND CHANCE TOYZ but customers of all ages and interests visit the shop and keep the staff of six employees hopping.

An interview and tour of the shop with owner John Cook was revealing, in part because of its interesting history, and also because of the extensive selection and price range of toys the business buys, sells or trades. The idea behind the toy business arose from owner’s desire to fulfill a childhood yearning.

“When I was a kid, we were poor, we didn’t have a lot of stuff,” Cook said. “My friends had it though. So, I always wanted the things they had. As I got older, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got some money so I’m gonna start getting a few things here and there,’ and, before I knew it, I had a mound of toys, games and action figures.”

By that time, he’d started meeting other people who collected similar items and enjoyed helping each other out with tips or trades. Soon, what began as a hobby turned into more of an obsession.

In 2011, as his interest reached an all-time high, Cook sold the landscaping company he’d owned for more than a decade and used the profits to start his toy business with wife Margaret. The couple chose the name “2ND CHANCE TOYZ” to represent John’s second chance to give toys a new life with someone who’ll appreciate them as much as he does.

“We started up at North Point Flea Market where we kept a booth from which we sold toys weekly,” said Cook. “It was a bit expensive keeping the booth, but we started making good money – good enough that we decided to keep rolling with it and move up to brick and mortar.

“I’m the tortoise in business, not the hare, so we began with a three-year contract on a storefront in Linthicum. Sales-wise, we were really moving. We next relocated 2ND CHANCE TOYZ to Glen Burnie and you’d have thought I turned a light switch on. Customers were coming from everywhere.”

Business was good but, still, Cook found the shop’s location a drawback. Situated all the way at the end of a shopping center, the store couldn’t be seen from the road. In spite of having an online presence, people were finding 2ND CHANCE TOYZ primarily through word of mouth. Thus, when the contract was up, the Cooks looked for a new retail space – one where they could be seen – on Ritchie Highway.

“I think I found a good spot here because it’s very visible, the traffic light’s in front of us, there are good neighborhoods around us, and we’re seeing a lot of new faces,” he said.

The location is also spacious enough to hold a voluminous inventory of recent and vintage toys and other items. They range in price from 50 cents for children or those who don’t have much money to spend to a few thousand dollars for high-end collectors. There are shelves and shelves and bins and glass front cases full of toy cars including the vintage metal cars shown in the opening photo.

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There are hundreds of vintage and modern action figures including Star Wars characters, X-Men, and other superheroes.

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According to Cook, GI Joes are “the hottest thing going now”, particularly the new 6-inch models which he says are midway between the little 3-3/4-inch ones he had as a child and the 12-inch ones owned by his father. GI Joes were always one of the shop owner’s favorite things so he took a calculated risk and placed an order with the distributor the moment they came out.

There is a vast collection of comics which take up most of a back wall, part of a wall on the left side of the shop and appear in a special glass case. To keep them in good condition and preserve their value, the comics are encased in see-through plastic sleeves and/or kept in cardboard bins according to series. Cook took pride in pointing out the glass showcase where valuable vintage or special edition comics are kept. He called our attention to a first edition of “The Crow” which is priced at $1,800 and an “Ultimate Fallout” edition selling for $1,000.

Another collection Cook is particularly proud of is strictly vintage. He finds he’s touched every time he turns on the Mickey Mouse lamp seen below because of what it represented to generations of kids.

A bust of Batman, an early 20th century merry-go-round, a metal barn circa 1950’s and a statuette of Donald Duck grace the top shelf of another section of older toys.

“I never thought 12 years ago when I started this that it would ever blossom to what it is,” said Cook. “But a lot of things have happened. Toys R Us going out of business makes it harder for people to buy toys. The Targets and Walmarts put out what’s easily available. But, if you’re looking for something from a toy series five years ago, your only option is to look for it on the internet, in which case you never really know what you’re getting. With us, you get to see it in person, see the value. You can see it, touch it and smell it.”

One of the most enthusiastic store owners we’ve met, Cook finds great satisfaction in carrying such a vast array of products that there is something for everyone. You might see a father and his son come in. The father might be a collector looking for something special that costs a lot. Meanwhile, the son may be looking to spend his allowance and can shop by himself for something fun but inexpensive – something with which to start a collection of his own.

Though the shop also carries merchandise for girls and women, that is not what Lane Heline was looking for.

“I’m here buying some wrestling figures for my son. He and my husband come here to 2ND CHANCE TOYZ on Saturdays to see wrestlers in person as do some other family members who are wrestlers. This is a great place and we come here for many occasions.

The shop often hosts in-person appearances by wrestlers who sit for autographs or pose for photos and also hosts live auctions viewed on Whatnot.com every Tuesday night and Friday night.

“One night we’ll do GI Joe and one night we’ll do wrestling, another night we’ll do Pokemon and people tune in,” Cook said. “The auctions have been one of several benefits we’ve enjoyed thanks to the internet. But actually being here at the shop in person is the real deal.”

A particular joy for Cook and his staff is helping kids like Lincoln Gaither find what they are looking for. Lincoln was all smiles as he was able to locate several boxes of his favorite Marvel Funko Pops heroes.

Lincoln’s younger brother Alex came to look for a video game but his imagination was temporarily captured by a bright green motorcycle nestled among the cars.

If there’s still a measure of the toy-loving child in you, or if you merely channel your inner sense of play through getting hard-to-find toys for your own little ones, we recommend checking out 2ND CHANCE TOYZ at 6 South Ritchie Highway in Pasadena or visiting them online at 2ND CHANCE TOYZ – HOME PAGE or on Facebook or Instagram.

An old-fashioned Pancake Supper at Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church

Save your appetite for an All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Supper at Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church, 911 Generals Highway, Millersville on Tuesday, February 21 from 4:30 to 7 pm. Pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee, tea, orange juice and lemonade are on the menu.

The price for adults is $6.00, for students 13 and up $5.00, for children 6 to 12 $3.00 and for children 5 and under free. For information, visit Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church – At the Crossroads of past and future in witness for Christ.

Anne Arundel Branch of American Association of University Women hosts ERA exhibit

The Anne Arundel Branch of the American Association of University Women, Maryland will be one of six hosts for “Artists4ERA, an art exhibit to bring renewed awareness to the Equal Rights Amendment, on March 3rd at the Baltimore County Arts Guild at the Catonsville Clubhouse from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. The clubhouse is located at 10 St. Timothy’s Lane in Catonsville. The work of iconic artist Shepard Fairey, Chuck Sperry and Tracie Ching is being presented along with that of 27 other artists.

Around The Park Again would like to welcome aboard Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services which joins Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi as a sponsor.

Thus, the 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.”  

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.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi

It was while doing research on replacing the windows in the former Catholic church that’s known today as Boone Station Hall that project manager Bob Royer visited the chapel at Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville.

Years earlier, Bob and his wife Karen had driven by the pretty chapel on their way to Homestead Gardens on Central Avenue in Davidsonville and did a double take. Though smaller, the chapel bore a striking resemblance to Boone Station Hall.

Somewhat later, Bob and Karen bumped into Holy Family Catholic Church member Chis Gordon at a Watershed Stewards Academy event. Gordon, a Master Watershed Steward, is involved in maintaining and preserving the chapel and church grounds. The Royers mentioned having seen the chapel and the conversation evolved to chatting about its similar style of architecture with Boone Station Hall. The similarities didn’t end there.

Both edifices were built as Catholic churches in the late 1920’s and, even today, they bear a noticeable resemblance to each other. Both have a bell tower and both have similarly positioned entrances. Both have windows with identical panes in the same patterns and color. However, all of the chapel’s windows are square while Boone Station Hall has a combination of square and arched windows.

Built in 1929 as Holy Family Catholic Church, the graceful edifice seen above (and in the opening photo) served the Davidsonville community well until 1982 when a larger church was built to accommodate the burgeoning congregation. The building was restored to its original state in 1991 and preserved as a church but serves as a chapel. It is one of three churches located within the Davidsonville Historic District.

Built by parishioners in 1927, the modest structure that is now Boone Station Hall was home to St. John the Evangelist Church until 1964, when construction was completed on a new church at 689 Ritchie Highway. The YMCA subsequently purchased the facility and land surrounding it adding a small building and a pool. Following bankruptcy proceedings, the property was acquired by Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in 1965. The newly formed Severna Park Community Center next door leased the facility from Woods and eventually renamed it Holy Grounds Youth Center. Thereafter it served as a coffee house for teens but was soon used extensively for meetings and events.

While the Woods REHAB Group was in the planning stages for their window replacement project in 2020, Royer arranged to visit the Holy Family Catholic Church chapel and was amazed by what he saw. A conversation with Chris Gordon afterward astonished Royer and led the REHAB Group to alter their perspective on their own building’s history.

“From what I’d learned, I told Bob Royer that our church was built in about 1929 from a Sears Catalog church kit,” Gordon said. “It was originally shingled but was white.”

Gordon’s comment was confirmed in an article by Angela Gambill in the Baltimore Sun in 1991 that detailed the restoration of the chapel to its original state earlier that year.

“When the fledgling congregation at Holy Family in Davidsonville needed a church building, late in the ’20s, they started flipping through the pages of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog,” Gambill wrote. “Oral history from church members at the time recounts how the church arrived by rail at Hall Station off Route 214 and was brought by horse and buggy to its present location, where it was assembled. Older church members recalled seeing boxes with the Sears name on them.”

She added that Catalogs such as Sears offered several sizes and varieties of churches, which were shipped in large sections for assembly.

Royer, in turn, shared what he knew about the original church structure with Gordon. A history of Severna Park called “Reflections” (still available from Bay Media, Inc.) notes that a site along Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard was selected for St. John the Evangelist Church in January of 1927. Construction was soon completed, and a dedication and mass were held on September 14, 1927. As can be seen, the original church had dark brown shingles.

Having taken a close look at the Holy Family Chapel windows during his visit, Royer has no doubt they are the same as those at Boone Station Hall and now believes the St. John the Evangelist parishioners built their church from a Sears kit too. It likely came by rail to the railroad station directly across Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard from the building.

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The upper panes of the original windows in Boone Station Hall were arched but, otherwise, similar as can be seen in the photo below on the right that was taken during a building renovation in 2013. From the outside, square windows exactly like those in the Holy Family chapel are visible along the back of the building and in the anteroom on the side that was converted into a bathroom.

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The roomier balcony at Boone Station Hall overlooks the audience and stage. Observers and photographers lined the rail for a performance by the Freedom Choir in May of 2019 dedicated to the late Capital newspaper reporter Wendi Winters. With the pews long since removed, the former church can accommodate a sizeable audience.

Another similarity between Boone Station Hall and the Holy Family Catholic Church Chapel is that they both have bell towers. Sadly, the Boone Station Hall bell no longer exists. (It was likely removed when St. John the Evangelist’s new church was completed.)

However, the bell in the tower at the chapel peals strongly thanks, in part, to Chris Gordon who was kind enough to ring the bell during a visit by the writer. (He even invited her to ring it which was quite a thrill.)

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Gordon explained that the bell was silenced following the earthquake that took place across Anne Arundel County about a decade ago.

“We had painters out about three years ago to redo the chapel’s trim and they had a lift to get them up to do the work,” Gordon said. “The bell was not working so I gave them $50 and said ‘Take me up to that belfry.’ So I went up on the lift with them and opened the little door there and found that the bell was off its rocker. I quickly went back home, built a frame, got some 2×4’s for leverage and hoisted the bell back up onto the rocker and secured it with the frame.”

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Both properties have lovely campuses with handicap accessible walkways and ecologically sustainable landscaping. Boone Station Hall is renowned for its beautiful pollinator gardens full of native plants. Thanks to Watershed Steward Gordon, Holy Family Chapel has pretty grounds too with lots of rain barrels.

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Though the two buildings’ origins mirror each other, they are no longer two sides of the same coin.

Their uses differ in many ways. According to Gordon, the Holy Family chapel has deliberately been kept as a church. Small and intimate, it is used primarily for weddings, baptisms and funerals. Until recently, it was also used for mass but the COVID pandemic meant all masses were conducted in the roomier new church behind the chapel where parishioners could spread out.

In the half century since the Woods congregation acquired the former church in 1965, the facility has been used for many things. While Holy Grounds Youth Center, it was managed by Severna Park Community Center and used first as a coffee house. Later it was used as a venue for meetings, bazaars and expos, concerts and theatrical performances, and dance and exercise classes like the Kendo martial arts class demonstration (below) during a Fitness Expo in 2010.

With the area where the altar used to be converted to a stage, Boone Station Hall, which is still managed by the Community Center, is a popular venue for concerts. But now and then it’s used for religious occasions as was the case with Woods Church’s Children’s Easter Service and Living Flower Cross procession on April 20th in 2014.

Severna Park’s Boone Station Hall and Davidsonville’s Holy Family Catholic Church Chapel continue to serve each community in meaningful ways. Born from a similar design, both represent charming sides of the same coin.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  January 28 marked the start of Jing Ying Institute’s month-long silent auction fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi

What could be more uplifting on a rainy Sunday afternoon in January than to attend a Tea Tasting by well-known tea expert Lynayn Mielke hosted by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi.

Mielke, owner of The Well Infused Life at 915 Bayridge Avenue in Annapolis, has literally traveled the world in her quest for knowledge about different teas and their effects on the human body and spirit. Introduced to the audience by Jing Ying Institute owner Nancy Greer, Mielke’s expressive presentation about the art of tea tasting immediately captured the audience’s attention and imagination.

Unlike “going to tea” at a hotel or fancy restaurant where scones, clotted cream and finger sandwiches are on the agenda, a “tea tasting” is just that – a tasting and comparison of various teas. Mielke’s guests would be tasting and comparing three different Chinese black teas during the afternoon and discovering the subtleties of each.

It’s well documented that drinking tea with friends encourages everyone “be present” in the moment – a practice that is greatly beneficial to one’s health. Bearing that in mind, Mielke encouraged attendees to introduce themselves to everyone else at their table.

Her own passion for tea began early.

“I’ve loved drinking tea since I was five years old and having tea with my grandparents,” she said.

It wasn’t until she was an adult acupuncturist, however, that she rediscovered and refined her connection with the beverage. While studying with Professor J. R. Worsley, the father of Five Element Acupuncture, she learned of the connections between acupuncture and herbs. Though intrigued, she chose not include herbal therapy in her own practice. Instead, she delved further into the medicinal, meditative, and spiritual benefits of tea and began recommending it to her patients.

Prior to the actual tasting, Mielke noted that there were two cups at each place at the table. The white cups, she explained, were for drinking the tea and observing the different aromas, colors and flavors of the three varieties. The tiny clay cups at each place were gifts from her to her guests to take home with them. No longer made, the little cups were 20 years old and made from Yixing Clay found only in the Yixing region of Central China. They were originally used in the brewing or tasting process. One of many anecdotes the world traveler shared involved watching those clay cups being made by artisans who were women during one of her visits to China.

Soon, she pointed to the three teas being tasted which were neatly arranged on a table at the front of the room. There were examples of the dry tea leaves of each as well as the wet, or infused, versions of each.

Mielke explained that there are two main varieties of tea plants. Camelia sinensis is grown only in China and is the source for black teas, green teas, white teas, pu-ehr (also spelled puehr) teas, oolong teas, and yellow teas. Of those varieties, only black teas and pu-ehr teas are fermented. Pu-ehr teas can be loose leaf varieties or, more often, you’ll find them with the leaves compressed into small shapes.

Camelia sinensis assamica tea plants are grown in India with two main varieties of strong, large leaved black teas, Assam and Darjeeling.

Examining the examples of dry and wet leaves of each tea being passed around, the guests observed how the tea leaves swelled in size once infused.

Mielke had earlier brewed plentiful amounts of all three of the featured teas and stored them at the proper temperature in stainless steel air pots for everyone to taste. She invited one or two guests from each table to form a line at the air pot furthest left and sample the first tea – a Gong Fu Cha. To honor the tradition of serving others as part of the tasting ritual, each person carried two cups to fill.

Headed by James Kluh, a line of eight people formed. A little bit later, black Labrador guide dog Parker was only too happy to accompany his mistress Wendi Ng to the air pots once the line dwindled.

Ng, whose popular calligraphy classes are hosted by Jing Ying Institute, said she is raising Parker while he’s training to become a Guiding Eyes For The Blind guide dog. He’ll be going back to Guiding Eyes in mid-April for testing to assure he’d make a good guide dog. If all’s well, he’ll receive a good deal of further training before being matched with someone with vision loss.

Mielke, meanwhile, asked attendees to cradle their cups of tea and breathe in the aroma. Surprisingly, she emphasized that it was a perfectly acceptable practice to slurp one’s tea in order to aerate the beverage over the tongue thereby enhancing its taste.

After savoring the Gong Fu Cha, the second tasting of Black Gunpowder Tea from Fujian was introduced. Attendees once more filled multiple cups of tea from the air pots. Among other attributes, the leaves of Black Gunpowder Tea are broad and strong and capable of being reinfused a second time. Those tasting the beverage described it as having a smoky taste.

Having acquainted her audience with two of the three types of tea, Mielke introduced them to a range of tea accessories called Gai wans which are basically small pots that brew a single serving of tea. She also displayed a magnetic tea infuser that she later used to show the audience what a brewing of the final tea, a pu-erh, looks like.

Pu-erhs are aged black teas that are fermented allowing microbials to develop that are beneficial to wellness and longevity. The one she chose to feature for the final tasting was a Mandarin Orange Pu-erh with strong hints of roses and chocolate.

Many attendees said they liked this tea best as the aromas and flavors of rose and chocolate really came through. Though the tasting ended with final cups of tea, the event was not yet over.

Questions were taken and answered by Mielke and helpful tea tips were given. Among them we learned that teas can be kept for two years. However, one should not refrigerate tea leaves. (You can brew the tea leaves and allow the tea to sit out overnight for use in the morning.) Above all, don’t ever microwave tea which destroys the microbials as well as the structure of the tea.

Just as the event was winding down, Lynayn Mielke took a moment to pose for photos with her helpful companion Rodell Middleton and hosts Nancy and Billy Greer.

Afterward, people browsed the Silent Auction table set up by Jing Ying Institute to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association which provides Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Others flocked to a table of teas and tea accessories available for purchase from Mielke’s business, The Well-Infused Life. (Years ago, she recommended teas to her acupuncture clients and soon began selling them. The sign on the table for the East West Tea Emporium is a reminder of the original tea business she launched years ago with her mother.)

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As one might imagine, there was a long line of willing customers for a variety of Well-Infused Life products for sale. To learn more about Lynayn Mielke and The Well-Infused Life, visit Lynayn Mielke | Facebook.

Orphan Grain Train’s “Light Up Ukraine” Drive still going strong

We have a follow-up to our earlier news about Orphan Grain Train’s “Light Up Ukraine” campaign. The effort has been a huge success! To date the organization has collected over $85,000 and money is still coming in. A total of 3,500 lights have been sent to Ukraine so far, with many more on order. OGT has collected enough money to purchase over 11,000 lights. Light Up Ukraine committee chair Elfe Eberle would like to pass on her thanks to everyone who helped OGT in giving LIGHT and HOPE to the people of Ukraine.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  January 28 marked the start of Jing Ying Institute’s month-long silent auction fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi

There was a stir of excitement the moment attendees stepped through the door at The Rising Sun Inn. Even while taking their seats, guests spied fashion historian and collector Heather Hook assembling her display of women’s clothing from pre- and post-Revolutionary America and were thrilled by the sight.

Susan Giddings, volunteer docent and Grant Management Chairperson for Rising Sun Inn, welcomed everyone while outlining the history of the farmhouse built in 1753 by Edward Baldwin. Located on the road used by General George Washington and the French Major General Comte Jean de Rochambeau during the Revolutionary War, the farmhouse saw much history over the next 100 years as a residence and an inn which also served as a post office, stagecoach stop, public meeting place, and tax collector’s stop.

In 1916 the Ann Arundel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution were able to acquire the much-degraded property from owner Bo Williams with a promise to restore and preserve the farmhouse and make it a center for community history and projects. The building became the DAR Chapter House as well as a historic house museum. It served as a Red Cross Work Center and a Recreation Center for Ft. Meade soldiers during World Wars I and II and, later, as a Tea House, drawing visitors from all over the world.

Giddings next had the honor of introducing Heather Hook as guest speaker for the latest installment of the Inn’s Tavern Talk and Tour Series. She’d first appeared at Rising Sun Inn for a similar event 20 years earlier.

A historic reenactor and collector of original women’s clothing dating from the 1700’s, Hook maintains a collection numbering some 5,000 pieces with most from the Civil War era. She opened her presentation by explaining how she got started.

“I’ve been collecting since my first year of college,” she said. “I had a boyfriend who was into Civil War reenacting, and he asked me to join in. Figuring anything worth doing was worth doing well, I began researching books on ladies’ clothing from the 1860’s and visiting museums. When I went to an antiques shop and found my first dress, I was just in awe that anything that old still existed. I’d simultaneously been gifted a garment from the 1890’s that had belonged to my great aunt that made me feel a direct link with her and increased my interest in clothing from the past.”

After many hours of research Hook realized how fashions change over time. Her lecture covering clothing from the 1750’s through the 1850’s, by the decade, was meant to show how fashion evolved.

She began by showing dresses from the 1750’s and 1760’s prior to the Declaration of Independence. The first was a wonderful example of the standard gown worn by fashionable women from the 1730’s to 1770’s that was known as a Robe a la francaise.

“This one is made out of silk and is trimmed with its own fabric,” she said. “It has a matching bodice called a stomacher, which is a piece that can be changed out to change the look of the dress. You can see from the back that it has fabulous Watteau pleats that fall to the ground.”

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Another fashion trend in the 1760’s was the use of quilted petticoats, an example of which could be seen in the second dress from Hook’s collection. The quilted petticoat (meant to be seen) is made from silk/satin and has extremely tiny stiches. As with stomachers, petticoats could be changed out to change the look of the dress. These dresses were worn by women from the higher classes.

Though “drawers” had not yet been invented (so women wore none), underclothes and accessories were important to “the look”. Cotton shifts were worn under the extravagant garments as were corsets that were intended to mold your body into a desirable shape. You would also wear a pair of pocket hoops (paniers) on either side of the hips. All of the dresses had open slits so you could put your hands through to the hoops where you would keep your incidentals.

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Shoes were a very important accessory and were made of satin. Some came with a wooden platform that the shoe rested in to keep it above the dirt and/or dry during periods of rain.

Hats, known as calash bonnets, were equally important for the well-dressed woman. Voluminous in size to accommodate elaborate hairdos piled high on the head, calashes had cane or whalebone inserts that expanded as the hair expanded.

Calash fabrics were predominantly silk or satin.

Other accessories included purses which tended to be small and delicate with intricate embroidery sometimes created using metal threads.

It was in this era that fans achieved prominence as a fashion statement. The artwork on hand painted fans from the mid-1700’s tended to be beautiful with decorative elements that could include ivory. The fans were large but in later decades, they would become smaller.

By the 1770’s things were changing as the public was less influenced by England and America was becoming more its own country. The next dress shown by Hook was worn in 1778 as the wedding dress of Mayflower family descendant Sarah Bass who married Dr. Ebenezer Alden, also descended from a Mayflower family. It is an English-style robe done in a brocade fabric with trims created from the same material. Simpler Watteau pleats flow down the back. The fabric was probably imported from England or France. At the time, silks and satins were less expensive than cotton which was the highest priced fabric because it wasn’t made here and had to be imported.

Accessories worn with all these dresses included beautifully embroidered aprons and mitts (both short and long).

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By the 1780’s clothing had become less restrictive though dresses still had a train that could be adjusted by a drawstring. Shoes from this time period had smaller heels. As before, and for a long time afterward, there was no right or left shoe. Both were the same. There were supposedly stockings during this period but Hook was not able to find any examples for her collection. As before, no underwear was worn other than a shift.

Moving into the 1790’s, one-piece dresses known as round gowns were fashionable. There was an emphasis on the back of the dress with a slight bump at the back descending into a train. The one shown was worn by Sarah Pennock from Pennsylvania.

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The 1800’s ushered in a risqué era of fashion known for it’s “barely there” gowns that featured empire waists and short bodices that barely covered the breasts. The dress from Hook’s collection was made from lightweight silk for evening wear. She believes the sleeves may have been added later.

The 1800’s also saw the introduction of underwear. Corsets became more structured with wooden pieces called busks running down the center to separate the breasts. Gloves, often made from Kidd, replaced mitts and bonnets became smaller.

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Moving into the Victorian era of the 1840’s, dresses became softer and more rounded with very full sleeves and bonnets became smaller and more casual. Toward the 1850’s there were more conservative American-made dresses created from wool/silk blends in varied and attractive prints.

Last but not least, Hook shared a splendid mid-19th century dress of eirjohn silk taffeta with a matching cape. A number of petticoats would have been worn beneath the dress.

Following much applause and appreciation for Hook’s presentation from the audience, Susan Giddings concluded the Rise and Fall of Fashion event by showing off three fans from Rising Sun Inn’s own collection that have not been on display for many years. The Inn recently received a grant from Americana Corner to conserve the fans and were able to complete the preservation of one fan. Donations from individuals are still being accepted to advance conservation of the remaining two fans. Two of the three fans are shown below.

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Noting that the Rise and Fall of Fashion event sold out and even more people viewed it online, Giddings thanked the audience and explained that Rising Sun Inn is a self-sustaining volunteer organization so funds raised from ticket sales are greatly appreciated. She then invited attendees to the Inn’s historic Tap Room for hot cider and sweets.

Upcoming events at the Inn include “Hopped Up!” on February 18 when guests will learn about the history of brewing in Colonial America presented by Chesepiooc Real Ale Brewery. They’ll also enjoy a brew tasting and some lite bites. There are three sessions at 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm. For prices and tickets, visit The Rising Sun Inn Crownsville, Maryland – Home .

Future events will include a Maryland Day tour with costumed guides on April 1, a Tea and Tour event on April 22 and a Make-Your-Own Mother’s Day Tea Cup Floral Arrangement on May 5.

Jing Ying Institute celebrates the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit beginning January 22

Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi will celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit with local performances including one for Anne Arundel County SPCA’s Paws at the Mall at 2 pm on January 22.

Jing Ying will continue celebrating with a series of free and low-cost classes and workshops.

Jing Ying will also host an open house on Saturday January 28 that includes a Chinese Lion Dance, demos of kung fu & tai chi, traditional treats, crafts for children, giveaways, and door prizes. January 28 marks the start of a Jing Ying Institute’s month-long silent auction fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association. For more information, visit Best Martial Arts Program in Annapolis, Severna Park (jingying.org)

The column is brought to you this month 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  Celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit with Jing Ying Institute beginning January 22.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Trai Chi

We first met Winsome Brown of Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services in October of 2020 not long after she and sister Dee (Danielle) Morgan Brown opened the business. As part of a virtual event focusing on Alzheimers patient care that she’d organized for the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce called “The Long Walk”, Winsome revealed how the Brown sisters started their company.

After working in New York’s financial sector for over twenty years, Winsome was unexpectedly thrust into the role of a caregiver for her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010.

The sudden pressure to make life-altering choices on her mother’s behalf, without being prepared to do so, forever shaped her views about our health system and what was needed for seniors and caregivers.

Soon, Brown and her sister Dee, a registered nurse, formed Lean On Dee Senior Care Advocates, serving as Certified Senior Advisors and Certified Dementia Live Coaches and Caregivers. Working together, the two basically managed dementia care for Alzheimer’s patients on their own. But, as demand for Lean on Dee’s services grew, they moved quickly from being a “no-touch” service doing home visits and assessments, and referring clients to other agencies, to a full care agency.

“We were doing all the marketing and management of patient care and sometimes even managing the staff of the other agencies we’d referred families to,” Winsome said. “We soon decided we could do it much better than those agencies.”

Working together, with Winsome taking care of business and Dee using her skills as a former Hospice and Palliative Care nurse to oversee patient care, the two developed a bottoms-up approach centered solely on the Alzheimer’s patient and family rather than a revenue-based model.

In the short time since getting their state license last June, Dee and Winsome have added 30 well-trained caregivers to their staff, becoming a level 3 agency, and they’ve instituted an approach to care that considers “the patient first”.

Seated next to each other in their conference room after meeting with one of those caregivers, the sisters noted that they are meeting with so many people on a daily basis that their modest suite of offices at 815 Ritchie Highway suddenly seems crowded and an expansion may become necessary.

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For now, though, they like that the words Compassion, Respect, Quality and Dedication are emblazoned on the wall of the conference room as a reminder to caregivers and clients alike that Lean on Dee is about more than simply showing up and doing the job.

“As far as we’re concerned, our caregivers have to be happy, so we hire skilled people including med techs and pay them at a higher rate than other agencies because we want to have reliable people. As we’re a level 3 agency, we can dispense medications (unlike level 1 or 2 agencies) and we do everything from personal care and companion care to skilled nursing care, ” Winsome said.

With cognitively impaired patients, medication management is vitally important.

These days, a lot of patient care provided by Lean on Dee takes place in assisted living facilities. Most of those facilities care for patients at a ratio of 15 patients to one caregiver and simply aren’t equipped to handle more seriously impaired patients.

Dee emphasizes that keeping the patients engaged is one of the most important aspects of the care she believes every client deserves.

“Many of these people are lonely, so we try to find out from their families what their occupations or interests have been in the past,” she said. “Then we send each caretaker out with a book bag of activities based on those interests so there is something to do after the patient’s physical needs are met beyond just sitting around. One patient, for example, likes to paint bird houses that are built by a different patient. We find something for everyone.”

Dee and Winsome Brown have an ideal balance of skill sets though both are capable of covering all bases if need be. Dee, for example, was the guiding force in developing a template for keeping track of how a patient is doing on a daily basis – a template that has proven invaluable for keeping families informed about their loved-one’s condition and welfare.

Winsome handles the marketing and financial aspects of the business. To that end, she’s sometimes out and about spreading the word about Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services. She, Dee and team were seen at the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s “Shoptoberfest” in October.

One or both sisters will be making an appearance this Saturday at the Severna Park Community Center’s Health & Wellness Expo. (See below for details.)

Both Dee and Winsome are very optimistic individuals and feel that they are truly doing “God’s work”. But they do find a few things frustrating. Because they monitor what is going on in their patient’s lives daily, they have been upset and angered by the amount of fraud directed at seniors – especially those who are ill or cognitively impaired.

They note that these vulnerable individuals are constantly bombarded with mailings, phone calls from call centers, and even television commercials with fraudulent offerings. There is tremendous Social Security and Medicare fraud, for example, including ads that urge patients to call a number to see if they are entitled to more benefits.

“They are not going to get ‘more’. It’s simply a grift to get people to buy insurance,” Winsome said. “Families need to keep an eye out for this as we’ve seen people’s savings wiped out by these schemes.”

Beyond that, these are exciting times for Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services.

“We have the best caregivers on the planet and we feel rewarded every single day,” Dee said.

For information on Lean On Dee call 410-449-4538 or visit Senior Care Advocates | Millersville, MD | Lean on Dee Senior Care Advocates.

Health & Wellness Expo at Severna Park Community Center Saturday

A Health & Wellness Expo is being held at Severna Park Community Center this Saturday, January 14 from 10 am till 2 pm. In addition to University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center, 25 health related businesses/practices will be represented. They range from physical therapy and chiropractic services to fitness training and senior home care. There will also be 13 presenters and demonstrations running the gamut from Anne Marie Flodd from Play & Thrive Speech Therapy and Justin Livezey from Severna Park Strength Performance to Billy and Nancy Greer from Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi.

For information, visit THE SEVERNA PARK COMMUNITY CENTER – SPCC Home (spcommunitycenter.org).

The Rise and Fall of Fashion, 1750-1850 at Rising Sun Inn this Sunday at 1 pm

Rising Sun Inn, in Crownsville, will host a presentation called “The Rise and Fall of Fashion, 1750-1850 this Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., for their Tavern Talk and Tour Series. This installment will feature Heather Hook. Heather started historic reenacting in 1990. Wanting to be as authentic as possible, she ran across her first original ladies Civil War dress in an antique shop and purchased it to study. She was immediately drawn into the world of collecting originals. The Heather Hook originals collection consists of men, women and children’s clothing and accessories from the years 1750-1980.

Heather will share original women’s clothing and accessories from the decades between 1750 and 1850, showing changing styles of ladies fashions. They include decadent fashions from the 1770s with their beautiful silks, those from the risqué 1800s with the Jane Austen Grecian style “barely there” dresses, as well as staunch Victorian gowns meant to show modesty. What women wore under those gowns will be revealed as well.

For information, visit Public Events – The Rising Sun Inn Crownsville, Maryland.

The column is brought to you 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  Jing Ying’s Kung Fu and Tai Chi training is an ideal way to start 2023 off on the right foot.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Fishpaw’s Marketplace

and Jing Ying Institute of Tai Chi & Kung Fu

Sophomore Josiah Williams is never more comfortable than when he’s behind a chess board. The Old Mill High School sophomore is young to be president of the high school’s chess club. But it’s not surprising when you consider that he began playing the game at the age of 10 and his honed his skills to a high level. He has participated in local and regional chess tournaments and just competed in his first national event – the U.S. National Chess Federation K-12 Championships held at National Harbor from December 9-11.

Josiah said the experience was challenging but he learned a lot. Contestants came from across the Eastern United States and competed according to their grade level. He was paired in matches with five other 10th-grade level competitors with a chess rating over 1100. The pairings for each round were indicated on a large white board. (In round 3, for instance, he was paired with sophomore Daniel Prizant from Stuyvesant High School, New York.)

Each match meant intense concentration on the part of each participant including Josiah. As mentioned in Old Mill High School’s Patriot Post newsletter, Josiah competed hard and represented the school and the Old Mill High School Chess Club very well.

At the end of the event, champions were declared for each grade level. While Josiah did not win the coveted title of champion, he gained a lot of valuable experience and knowledge and met many competitors as well as chess luminaries including Carol Meyer, Executive Director, of the U.S. National Chess Federation.

Josiah discovered the art of chess in a somewhat unique way.

“I was introduced to the game by a staff member at Kim’s Karate & Learning Center in Glen Burnie where I was studying Taekwondo,” he said. “His name was Mr. Matt and he introduced all of us to chess.”

The 10-year-old learned by playing other Taekwondo students. However, he progressed more quickly than any of the others, so he began playing the learning center staff members. He also found chess applications (aps) that were instructional and enabled him to practice his skills and increase his powers of concentration. Shortly thereafter, he discovered The Severna Park Chess Club and was delighted that the adult members were willing to play him and help him improve his game. One member, national chess champion and playwright Joe Coppola was especially helpful.

On entering Old Mill High School in 2021, Josiah was urged by his parents to “join the chess club to make friends”. The freshman was the club’s youngest member at the time as the others were seniors but he continued to learn from them. To his amazement, he entered the high school’s chess tournament and won the championship beating the club president.

It was at that point that Josiah became club president… though with a smaller membership because the seniors graduated. The club currently has seven members with hopes of recruiting more. They meet twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The new president adapted quickly to his leadership role, overseeing the meetings, recruiting members and accepting the responsibility to teach the other members. The team is also fortunate to be coached by Dr. Eric Hehl, an Old Mill High science teacher and chess player extraordinaire.

“He’s very good. I can’t beat Dr. Heil,” Josiah says.

Each meeting begins with setting up chess boards and/or clocks and pairing off for the matches. Josiah will observe and teach the members new openings or strategies. He also encourages them to compete in nearby tournaments like those held weekly by the D.C. State Chess Federation to give young players from area chess clubs experience. Once every four weeks, the D.C. State Chess Federation tournament is held at the American Legion in Annapolis.

He sometimes talks with chess club members about how exciting it was to participate in the U.S. National Chess Federation K-12 Championships. But he also tells them that he trained hard for it.

Josiah’s father Darrell Williams confirmed that his son worked hard and trained for the national championship meet by competing in smaller tournaments. He also trained for two months last summer by playing members of the Severna Park Chess Club who have a higher skill level than he does. The gentlemen were happy to challenge him and give him advice.

Josiah is currently in training for the Spring 2023 High School Championships in Washington, D.C. where he will, again, be representing the Old Mill High School Chess Club. He says 800 to 900 students are expected to play in that one from many different high schools and he looks forward to playing some exciting matches.

For more information or to contact Old Mill High School Chess Club, visit Clubs and Activities – Old Mill High School (oldmillhs.org).

Health & Wellness Expo upcoming at Severna Park Community Center

For the first time since this COVID pandemic, a Health & Wellness Expo is being held at Severna Park Community Center on Saturday, January 14 from 10 am till 2 pm. In addition to University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center, 25 health related businesses/practices will be represented. They range from physical therapy and chiropractic services to fitness training and senior home care. There will also be 13 presenters and demonstrations running the gamut from Anne Marie Flodd from Play & Thrive Speech Therapy and Justin Livezey from Severna Park Strength Performance to Billy and Nancy Greer from Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi.

For information, visit THE SEVERNA PARK COMMUNITY CENTER – SPCC Home (spcommunitycenter.org).

The column is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. – a family business that carries fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods.

and 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  Jing Ying’s Kung Fu and Tai Chi training is an ideal way to start 2023 off on the right foot.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Fishpaws Marketplace and

Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi

The Severna Park business scene has seen a number of firsts occur on the first day of a New Year.

January 1, 2000, saw entrepreneur Deb Hoffman open the first “specialty bean coffee shop” in Severna Park in a tiny space on Riggs Avenue at B&A Boulevard with Christie Sappington as her first barista. She called it The Big Bean and business boomed. By 2005, Hoffman had relocated the shop to its present address at 558 B&A Boulevard with a back entrance and patio along the Baltimore Annapolis Trail. The Big Bean’s success soared, and it became a hub of the rapidly growing community.

Skipping ahead to January 1, 2019 Christie Sappington Coster and husband Greg – the same Christie Sappington who had been The Big Bean’s first Barista – took over ownership of the shop from Hoffman.

Having realized Christie’s long-held dream of becoming the shop’s owner one day, the couple continued building on the establishment’s success. They did good job adapting and keeping the shop profitable through the COVID pandemic while also taking an active role in the Severna Park community.

Not every business launched in the new year was successful. However, one was transformative. As the calendar flipped from 2015 to 2016, brothers Peter and Ron Zarilli opened Zarillis Steaks and Hogies in the building that, for 53 years, was home to the Severna Park Post Office. Experienced builders, the brothers successfully transformed the building from a mail facility to a restaurant – one that sadly closed within its first year of operation.

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The building underwent further changes in 2017 when restaurateurs Charlie Priola and Arturo Ottaviano joined ranks to purchase the business and open La Posta Pizzeria – La Posta meaning “the post office” in Spanish.

Once again, a New Year’s launch is about to take place according to a tip we received from Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber CEO Liz League. She tells us Senor’s Chile Cafe Severna Park is about to open under the ownership of 19-year-old Harry Salmoran in the building that was formerly Rivera’s Mexican Cafe at 594 Benfield Road. The menu will be comprised of authentic Mexican dishes similar to those served at the Salmoran family’s Mi Lindo Cancun Grill in Annapolis.

While Severna Park’s business scene changes frequently, the way in which residents celebrate the ringing in of a New Year has remained relatively intimate.

In Severna Park’s earliest years, summer activities like carnivals and dances were held but New Year’s Eve celebrations were primarily private parties held in the homes of residents.

A reminiscence of such parties during the 1950’s was written by former resident Jill Howard and included in the book “Severna Park Reflections” published by Bay Media, Inc. and the Severna Park Old Timers.

Howard spoke of occasional dances at Round Bay Inn or cotillions at St. John’s College that young ladies from the town attended wearing lovely long gowns but carrying their slippers because they had to ride the train. Even more fun were New Year’s Eve parties held by families in the community.

“The parties given by the Samuels of Severna Park on New Year’s Eve were the most exciting – quite the event of the year,” she said. “The home was lovely and just right for parties. You could dance in a circle through the rooms [to a four piece group] and how we loved to dance.”

She added that food was special with non-alcoholic punch and ice cream and cake served at midnight. The women’s dresses were long, and they all planned them months ahead. All the men wore tuxedos.

Fast forward to New Year’s Eve 2022. Residents who like to stay at home for New Year’s Eve can add a burst or two of excitement to the evening. Maryland laws now permit the purchase of fireworks from approved retail sites on New Year’s Eve for firing off in one’s backyard.

For those wishing to go out to celebrate, we’ve checked and found that Severna Park has little going on aside from celebratory meals at neighborhood restaurants. Luckily, there’s one great option. Severna Park Bowling Lanes has been holding New Year’s Eve festivities for quite a few years and this year is no exception.

They’ll be decorating the lanes for the occasion (as seen in the opening) and will supply glitzy hats, gift bags, noisemakers and other items necessary for bringing in the New Year with style.

You can call 410-647-0811 to reserve your lane for a fabulous New Year’s Eve party. Severna Park Bowling Lane’s Family Parties are from 4 pm to 6 pm or 7 pm to 9 pm. Their Gala Celebration is from 9:30 pm to 1 am and partiers of all ages are welcome.

With Annapolis close by, many local residents head there to celebrate. Beginning in 1990, the First Night Annapolis tradition took hold and continued until recently along with annual fireworks displays over the harbor.

This year, a celebration called “The Annapolis New Year’s Eve Party” has taken over from First Night Annapolis. The celebration will unfold in stages starting in the afternoon.

There will be a family friendly event at SusanB. Campbell Park with kids’ activities and bands from 4 – 5.20 pm and fireworks over the Annapolis Harbor at 5.30 pm. The main celebrations will then move on into the evening, with crowds heading down to City Dock where a fireworks display will be set off by the mayor at midnight.

In addition to fireworks at the City Dock with live music, a New Year’s Eve Party is being held at the Vibe. For details, visit Vibe | Live Music Venue serving Food & Drinks in Annapolis (vibeannapolis.com) venue at 2072 Somerville Road.

For another celebration along the waterfront, visit New Year’s Eve Bash At The Annapolis Waterfront Hotel or attend a New Year’s Eve in ’80 garb at Ram’s Head On Stage. Tickets are available at Ultimate 80’s Prom, Live Music At Rams Head On Stage. There will also be live music at the Rams Head Roadhouse. See Live Music At Rams Head Roadhouse.

The column is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. carrying fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods. You’ll find a fine selection of bubbly for those New Year’s Eve toasts as well as snacks, beers and spirits for watching New Year’s Day football games.

and 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  Jing Ying’s Kung Fu and Tai Chi training is an ideal way to start the New Year off on the right foot.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Brought to you by Fishpaws Marketplace and

Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi

The most exciting time of the year arrived for SPAN, Inc. on December 11th as donors walked through the doors of Our Shepherd Lutheran Church to drop off donations of foods and gifts for 208 families through the organization’s Holiday Caring Program. (The church donates the space to store them.)

According to SPAN’s Director of Operations Maia Grabau, the program matches donors with families needing help during the Christmas season. The donors receive the name of a family to buy gifts for from one of the schools or from social services. They are then given the names, ages and sizes of each child and they are also asked to provide non-perishable foods for a Christmas dinner along with a gift card for a turkey or ham.

Early arrivals at the desk manned by Grabau and daughter Elizabeth were Evonne Briese and sons Nick and Oliver Marquinez who were donating packages of food and gifts and a pink and white girl’s bicycle. Volunteers Sharon Fenton and Elizabeth Grabau helped them drop off their donations in the church’s multi-purpose room where a taped-off square was numbered to match the number of the family they bought gifts for.

Meanwhile, volunteers Karen Fox and son Brady and brothers Luke and Henry Comer offered to shuttle donations dropped off earlier at SPAN’s headquarters across from the church. They’d check the gifts in, hand the gift cards to Grabau and drop them off down the hall. Then they’d head back for another armful or wagonload.

Keri DeLuca and son Christian brought gifts that were gathered from all their neighbors in Shipley’s choice. They carried their donations back to the multi-purpose room with volunteer Alice Kerwin and were amazed by the well-thought-out system of numbered squares matching numbers assigned the families receiving the gifts.

When not supervising the transfer of donations from the SPAN building, Director of Development Michele Sabean was busy keeping track of which donations were going where. She first checked out donations stored in the Sunday School room used as an annex to the multi-purpose room.

“The front of this room is dedicated to gift donations. In the back of the room, we have donations of food going to families that don’t have children, some of whom are our regular clients. Most food donations have come from the churches,” she said.

“With budgets tight, the churches suggested their congregation members make a small donation of food or a gift. When combined, they make quite a large contribution.”

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Michele Comer’s twin sons Henry and Luke finished the wagon runs and joined her in sorting food donations. The brothers are members of Boy ScoutsTroop 855 based at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal Church and were volunteering to accumulate service hours toward merit badges.

SPAN’s directors and volunteers are always amazed at the generosity of donors. Natalie Etters and her daughter Abigail had their arms full as they delivered bags full of nicely wrapped packages for Family #1010. After checking in with Grabau, they were shown to the multi-purpose room by Kirwan.

Many neighborhood donations were received including a sizeable contribution brought in by Liz Lax, her son Hudson and neighbor C.J. Whlig. In addition to three enormous blue zippered bags, they had two paper shopping bags filled with even more food and gifts.

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“These gifts are from several families in Fair Oaks on the Magothy,” Lax told Grabau as she unzipped the bags and handed her some gift cards.

This year, individual families, neighborhoods, churches and businesses were as generous as before in spite of inflationary pressures according to Grabau.

“One household gifted 10 families which really helped us a lot,” she said. “More families registered for the Holiday Caring program this year. We even added additional families at the last minute including one mother who was just home from the hospital after having brain surgery and asked for some gifts for her son.”

She added that SPAN has had a significant increase in clients served, with more people asking for financial assistance than for food. Energy bills are hitting people hardest.

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In addition to the Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church donations, contributions were expected the following day from Severna Park United Methodist Church, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal Church and, of course, Our Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Businesses involved in donating to the holiday caring program included Howard Energy with multiple packages from Bill and Patti Howard. They were followed through the door by Sally McGuire who made multiple trips bringing in donations from The Matt Wyble Team.

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Donors continued arriving until 4 pm with more the following day. By far, the most meaningful day of all for SPAN, Inc. would be Tuesday, December 13 when recipients arrived at the church to collect the food and gifts that will make their Christmas celebrations brighter than they might have hoped.

SPAN will soon be approaching the time of year when the need is greatest, but donations dwindle. For more information or to make a donation, visit SPAN Serving People Across Neighborhoods (spanhelps.org)

Olde Severna Park Holiday Shop & Stroll patrons brave chilly pre-Christmas weather

Darkness was an hour away when Olde Severna Park’s first-ever Holiday Shop & Stroll began. The wind was blowing and temperatures dropping but shoppers were already forming a crowd in the historic heart of the town.

Theater In The Park musical director Kylie Sjolie commandeered a place on the pavement to gather singers from her Pitch Perfect and Musical Theater Workshops for a quick briefing about the songs they’d perform at 5 pm.

Shoppers were not only welcomed by the storefront businesses on both sides of Benfield Boulevard but by a number of retailers from further afield who’d set up tables.

Hoping to capture the spirit of Christmas, author Marissa D’Angelo sported reindeer antlers trimmed while selling and signing books at her Tales of Charles Island table – books she felt would make great holiday gifts.

D’Angelo’s Charles Island series, based on the island of the same name off the coast of Connecticut, consists of three titles. Each is set in a different era. The earliest, “Cursed Spirit”, focuses on a Native American Indian tribe – the Paugusetts, “Cursed Vessel” is modeled on the pirate Captain Kidd. The third, “Presence”, is set in modern times and concerns a photographer who finds paranormal images in his photos of the island. D’Angelo donates 10% of her profits to the Paugusett tribe and reforestation efforts. Her books may be ordered at Books | Mysty Writes.

Katie Richardson’s Santa hat was warm and was the perfect advertisement for her Year Cheer holiday boxes for kids. The boxes did, in fact, draw many curious kids. Just to Richardson’s left was Meredith Baker from Skin Logic who was selling an array of high-quality and medical grade cosmetics.

Friends Kathy Kline and Tammi Molavi were having a ball and had already visited several shops. Having stopped by The Big Bean , they were carrying cups of coffee and were about to cross Benfield Boulevard to visit Dawson’s Liquors where they hoped to sample a tasty beverage, then onward to Savvy Consignment and Park Books.

Dawson’s Liquors, along with Peaceful Petals and The Blended Essentials, sponsored the Olde Severna Park Holiday Shop and Stroll. We caught up with Blended Essentials’ owner Danielle Bowen who told us retailers along the boulevard – especially Big Bean owner Christie Coster – had talked about doing such an event for a while. They were pleased that 16 businesses agreed to participate.

The tables in front of the shops provided independent or online retailers a chance to bring their products more exposure. At the ColorSTREET table, for example, stylist Chrisie Varner designed glittery little bags to hand out with samples of adhesive nail polish strips and other products that female shoppers really liked.

Just around the corner at 4 Riggs Avenue was the The Red Apron Shoppe where Kate DoCouto was minding the family business. The shop was founded by her mother MaryAnn Neal who was away visiting Denver, Colorado. Interestingly, Neal is one of the merchants who most wanted a holiday event that would draw people to Olde Severna Park.

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As promised, there was music to enjoy. Vocalist/guitarist Daphne Eckman was perched on a stool outside the entrance to The Big Bean providing a touch of jazz as she sang such standards as “I’ll Be Seeing You”.

Just as the sun was going down and Christmas lights were coming on in storefront windows, the Theater In The Park music students assembled next to the Refill Goodness tables to perform a program of holiday songs with both Skoljie and Kraus directing. The singers, ages 4 to 18, loved appearing for a new and different audience. They planned to cross Benfield Boulevard and perform in front of Dawson’s, Savvy and Park Books as well.

An update on Orphan Grain Train’s “Light Up Ukraine” project

Following their Light Up Ukraine Drive, Millersville-based Orphan Grain Train has received $58,000 in donations for Luci Lights – solar-powered lights that are being shipped to Kiev. Project chairman Elfie Eberle said the organization was very thankful for the amazing response.

The column is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. – a family-owned business that carry fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods. Holiday gift sets are now on the shelves and, on December 17th, an artist will be on hand to engrave customers’ bottles with personalized holiday greetings.

and 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 cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress.  Jing Ying’s classes would make a great holiday gift.