Author: wingsorb@aol.com

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Severna Park Community Center gala committee members Amy Holbrook and Collette Campbell are excited to be planning the organization’s first “live” gala since COVID reared its ugly head. The annual gala is the organization’s biggest fundraiser.

Holbrook, as SPCC’s director of community outreach and marketing and Campbell, as assistant director of communications and development, are delighted by the eleven-member committee’s selection of a Boots & Black Tie theme for the 2022 gala which will be held at Chartwell Golf and Country Club on April 23rd. Apparently, so is the Severna Park business community. Offers of sponsorship and auction items are already flooding in.

Imagine Holbrook’s and Campbell’s delight on opening one of the earliest silent auction items to arrive – a boxed replica of “Toy Story” hero Sheriff Woody. The pair couldn’t resist taking the diminutive sheriff out of the box and placing him on their worktable for inspiration.

Thing is, Woody wouldn’t stay put. Like the toys in the Pixar computer-animated film, the little sheriff took on a life of his own, disappearing only to pop up at the community center’s pool grabbing a nap on the diving board.

They next found him in the Edward St. John Weight/Cardio Gym wishing his legs were long enough to reach the pedals.

Regardless, there was work to be done. Community center members were tremendously supportive of last year’s abbreviated drive-by gala which raised significant funds, but they all feel it’s past time to come back together again to have fun and celebration.

“We definitely wanted to bring our most popular annual fundraiser back…but to be sure that, when the time came, we’d have something the community would really enjoy,” Holbrook said.

Campbell added that the committee realized early in the planning that SPCC’s volunteers and board members were anxious to get out again and start living.

“Their overwhelmingly positive outlook gave us a spark to want to make this super fun,” she said.

The idea for the Boots & Black Tie theme grew out of the gala committee’s desire to do something different from anything they’d done before. They considered several different concepts. However, following the SPCC board’s announcement that they’d chosen former board chairman and real estate company owner David Orso as the 2022 gala honoree, they delved more deeply.

“We wondered what sort of event would match David’s personality,” Holbrook said. “We know he and his wife Dawn as a lively and outgoing couple who enjoy a casual lifestyle but, like some of the older community center members, appreciate an opportunity to get dressed up. We decided to marry the two elements and came up with the Black Tie & Boots scheme that is formal with a nod to western. The Orso’s say they love it.”

Judging by the photo below, Sheriff Woody approves of the idea too. He thinks mixing formal wear with classic western cowboy hats and boots is a great idea.

The gala committee has focused on planning an event that is multi-generational in its appeal – one that blends black-tie chic with upscale country/casual indoor and outdoor settings, a western-influenced menu including a signature Jalapeno Lemonade cocktail, and music that will vary from fox-trots to “boot scootin’ boogie”.

Campbell and Holbrook are spearheading the decorating. In trying for authenticity, they are grateful that Maryland Therapeutic Riding is generously donating the use of saddles, bridles, blankets and spurs for the occasion along with a typical western arch. Weather permitting, there will be lighted outdoor tents for various activities. Indoors, there will be a bourbon bar, casino tables and saloon games like Roulette, Craps and Texas Hold-Em (playing for prizes) plus several tables of items donated by businesses for both silent and live auctions.

“One auction item is the donation of an all-expenses paid week at the White Stallion Dude Ranch in Tucson, Arizona including meals and horseback and ATV riding,” Campbell said. “We also have donations of Kenny Chesney concert tickets, trips to the beach and a trip to Charleston, South Carolina.”

A variety of music played by local band, The Shatners, will have everyone out on the dance floor at some point. SPCC Dance Center teachers including director Kellie Greer will be on hand to organize line-dancing and teach the easy-to-learn skills.

“We can assure you that the menu will be great,” Holbrook said. Our entire committee went for a tasting at Chartwell

Funds raised from ticket sales and the auctions will go toward community center operating costs and toward implementing the organization’s newly conceived Strategic Plan. The plan’s goal, over the next two years, is focused on health and wellness initiatives. There were already health and exercise-based programs ranging from SPCC Dance Center programs to fitness programs in partnership with local companies like Bay Area Volleyball, Tai Chi/Qi Gong for Health & Wellness from Jing Ying Institute, i9 Sports, and Chesapeake Bay Aquatic and Physical Therapy.

Having realized during the COVID pandemic how important the body/mind connection and human interaction is to well-being and how much members missed using the center during the period they were closed, SPCC wants to extend its programs and even hold health and wellness lectures.

Though back inside his box, Sheriff Woody will be occupying a prominent place on the silent auction tables. He’s hoping the family that claims him will have a nice picket fence, the perfect place for him to hang out.

For information or tickets to the community center’s Boots & Black Tie Dinner at Chartwell Golf and Country Club on April 23 at 6:30, visit Black Tie & Boots Gala 2022 (spcommunitycenter.org)

Liquor store license hearing to extended to April 26th

Fishpaws MarketPlace owner Kim Lawson reports that the Anne Arundel County Board of License Commissioners hearing on March 8th took place as planned with the license application for Robinson Liquors the last item on the agenda. Robinson Liquors, LLC owner Andrey Nikolaev outlined the store’s logic for seeking a license while representatives for the owners of 24 already existing liquor stores and a member of the Greater Severna Park Council presented their opposition to the license. The hour grew late before they were finished so the hearing was extended to April 26th.

Petitions for both sides of the argument were submitted. According to Lawson, petitions will still be available at all the community liquor stores for customers to sign through April 25.

Parade Grand Marshall announced by Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber

The Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce‘s board of directors has announced that the Grand Marshall for the community’s 4th of July Parade will be Kevin Sosnoski, owner/operator of Goska’s Liquors which is celebrating its 92nd anniversary as a family business. Sosnoski is a familiar face around Severna Park having participated in numerous community events including many of the Chamber’s popular Taste & Sip celebrations.

Chamber CEO Liz League notes that plans are already underway for this year’s parade for which the theme is “Celebrating Our Rich History”. She pointed out that there are many historic sites throughout the community that connect current-day residents to those of the past. She feels there are ample examples for neighborhood float-builders to choose from.

For information on current and upcoming events, visit Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce (gspacc.com).

American Association of University Women adds two new scholarships

President Catherine Crowley reports that The Anne Arundel County branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will offer two scholarships to women transferring from Anne Arundel Community College to four-year colleges, universities, or professional schools to complete a bachelor’s or professional degree.
 
Women qualifying for the scholarships must be Anne Arundel County residents who have attended AACC, have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and be eligible for junior or higher standing in the Fall 2022. The criteria for selection will include active participation as a citizen of the college or community, leadership potential, academic excellence, and financial need.
 
The scholarship application form is available at  http://annearundelcounty-md.aauw.net/, in the AACC Financial Aid office or by contacting the AAUW Transfer Scholarship Chairperson: bhmarder@aacc.edu. Completed applications are due by April 4, 2022. All necessary instructions and mailing information are contained on the application.
 

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

By Friday of last week, many Severna Park residents had received a large yellow postcard from Robinson Liquors saying “We need your help to make it happen!! Please sign the petition and allow a license for Robinson Liquors.” Additional messaging and a map on the back of the card noted that the store would be located off Robinson Road in the 22,000 sq. ft. space next to Aldi’s Supermarket.

A visit to Robinson Liquors’ website shows it will essentially be a capacious liquor superstore, offering over 2,800 beers, wines and spirits at competitive prices.

The petition on the store’s website provides a place for one’s name and address, phone and email and a place for a signature above the statement “I, the undersigned, support the application of Robinson Liquors LLC for a new Class A (Beer, Wine & Liquor) package store license at 466 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, Maryland 21146. I believe that the area is not adequately served by existing stores and would welcome the convenience and the choice to shop at a new store.”

Severna Park liquor stores are not in agreement that the area is not adequately served and plan to oppose the issuing of a liquor license at an Anne Arundel County Board of License Commissioners hearing on March 8 at 6 pm at the County Council Chambers in Annapolis.

Andrey Nikolaev, owner of Robinson’s Liquors, LLC (along with Annapolis resident Ronald Breeden who has a one percent interest in the business) has previous experience as a liquor store operator in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Until recently, he was president and CEO of Drinx Market, a store with a format similar to what is proposed for Robinson Liquors.

When we spoke with Nikolaev, he affirmed that he is a small business owner currently living in the Cabin John community of Montgomery County, Maryland with his wife and son but is shortly moving to Annapolis.

In describing Robinson Liquors, he emphasized that it is not a corporation or large operation but a small business.

“Basically, I’m a small business owner who has invested his own savings although most of the financing is coming from a loan obtained from the Small Business Administration,” Nikolaev said.

The Maryland Small Business Administration was unable to provide confirmation of the loan by publication time.

He added that he’d been looking at Severna Park as a location in Anne Arundel County for over a year and doing extensive market research to make sure there is more demand for alcoholic beverages than there is supply.

“I found 24 liquor stores that sell alcohol off premises within a 5-mile radius of Severna Park,” he said. “In the same area, the expenditure for alcoholic beverages for last year was $29 and-a-half million dollars which was slightly higher than previous years due to the COVID pandemic but it wasn’t significantly different from previous years.”

In contrast, Kim Lawson, owner of Fishpaws MarketPlace, said those 24 liquor stores (seven of them in Severna Park proper) already offer an ample supply of beers, wines and liquors to say nothing of dozens of area bars and restaurants that have off-premises sales capabilities. She believes there is not enough demand to support another liquor store in the Severna Park area and that a liquor superstore would harm business at the community’s existing liquor stores.

“On learning of Robinson Liquors, LLC’s application for a liquor license, all our small businesses that carry spirits in the Severna Park area have come together to oppose the move because the new business is like a superstore,” Lawson said.

“Because of the way the laws are in Maryland, we only found out about this three weeks ago through word of mouth and didn’t receive a notice from the Liquor Board until a week ago,” she added. “From the oldest to the newest and the largest to the smallest, all of us are asking our customers to sign a petition of our own to reject the move.”

Those most immediately in the Severna Park area are Dawson’s Liquors, Harbour Wine & Spirits, Severna Park Wine & Spirits, Goska’s Liquors, Corwell & Son Liquors, Magothy Wine & Spirits and Fishpaws Market Place. All have petitions prominently displayed on their counters.

Though closed four days to have new flooring installed, Fishpaws already had gathered many signatures on their petition according to Lawson.

Straddling the border between Severna Park and Arnold, Fishpaws has been a traditional stopping point for locals and travelers. A tavern and gas station in the 1930’s, the store was owned by the Fishpaw family from the late ’40’s through the 60’s. It changed hands a couple times before being purchased by Kim Lawson and her parents, Brad and Chris, in 1982. In 2004, the Lawsons tackled a major reconstruction becoming a market place that features a deli, gourmet foods, and a selection of beer, wines and spirits. Seventeen years later, they are currently laying a new floor and refreshing the interior.

Also gathering signatures on its petition is Dawson’s Liquors in Olde Severna Park. We caught up with Jo Ann Polk and Nick Cipriano, two of five partners who own the business today. Cliff Dawson founded the business in 1944 when he leased the Codd Building at 4 Riggs Avenue (now the Red Apron Shoppe) following the death of its owner. Christened Dawson’s Store, it featured a soda fountain, liquor sales and a slot machine. Outgrowing the space, Dawson built the current store on the corner of McKinsey Road and Old Annapolis Boulevard which he opened in 1952. An enlargement to the building in 1967 temporarily housed the Severna Park Post Office. Ten years before his death, Dawson’s family took over the business and still leases the building. In 1985 JoAnn and her late husband Ed Polk opened Dawson’s Liquors along with their partners.

A tour through the shelves at Goska’s Liquors with Kevin Sosnoski, who with brother Michael took over the landmark business from their father Walter in 1996, is fascinating. The face of Goska’s today, Sosnoski grew up in and around the store. He ably relates his family’s experience with the oldest continuously operating business in Severna Park.

Though currently celebrating its 92nd anniversary, the business is actually older having opened in the 1920’s as a general store operated by the Kleiss family. Brothers Walter and Alex Goska purchased the building in 1930 and established it as Goska Brothers Store selling fresh cut meats, groceries, kerosene, gasoline and feed for farm animals. There was also an icehouse. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the brothers added beer and liquor to their inventory. With help from Walter’s wife Helen, the enterprise flourished and the blue shingled store with the gas pumps in front became a familiar destination for local families.

Situated off Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Goska’s maintained a steady flow of customers through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1939, the construction of Ritchie Highway was completed. Goska’s remained popular but increased traffic from the highway onto Rt. 648, which ran directly in front of the store, was so close to the entrance that it posed a danger to customers. Consequently, the entrance was relocated to the side of the building bordered by Leelyn Drive where it remains today.

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Helen Goska’s hard work alongside her husband and brother-in-law through the years contributed greatly to the store’s success. Following husband Walter’s death in 1957, Helen continued to operate the business aided by her sister Eva Schwartz and nephew Walter Sosnoski.

Walter moved his young family to Severna Park and assumed a major role in the business, eventually taking over while simultaneously working in Baltimore as a pharmacist for 25 years.

As mentioned, the store had been carrying a modest amount of beer and liquor along with groceries since 1933. However, in the early and mid 1960’s, modern supermarkets like Pantry Pride, the A&P and Safeway came to Severna Park. That’s when Walter Sosnoski made the decision to switch from carrying deli and food items to strictly carrying beer, wines and spirits.

Walter was also responsible for altering the way the store looked in the mid 1980’s hiring Chisholm Contractors to add siding and trim. Painted red, it assumed the barnlike character that has made it a community icon.

After graduating from college in 1991, Kevin Sosnoski was working at Goska’s full-time, and Mike was there when his job as a firefighter allowed. When Walter stepped down in 1995 and passed away the following year, his sons were already there to take over.

Kevin Sosnoski’s earliest memories of Goska’s are as the bus stop where he, brother Mike and sister Carol waited for the school bus to St. John the Evangelist School each morning.

“It was the three of us and the Barranco children waiting outside the store’s front door each morning which was rather dangerous,” Sosnoski said. “After school, we’d come into the store and say hi to my great aunts. There was a deli case then and sometimes an aunt would be cleaning the slicer.”

“My dad was working with Helen and Eva by that time, splitting his day between being a pharmacist in Baltimore and coming here to the store. Seven days a week he’d come home around 3 pm and we’d have dinner. Then he’d take a nap before heading to the store to check on his aunts, do whatever was needed and close up at 8 pm.”

Sosnoski considers Goska Liquors stability and longevity amazing but says it’s no accident. He credits the good customer service provided by Goska’s staff from the moment Alex and Walter Goska opened their doors 92 years ago.

“Our staff members are great, and most have been with us a long time,” he said. “We’ve had very little turnover.”

In addition, his entire family has been involved with the business in one way or another. Along with his father Walter, his mother Emilie worked in the store. His sister Carol worked there for a period, and his brother Mike, a full-time firefighter, worked there too putting in more or less the same hours as their dad. Even Mike’s wife Debbie, who is also a firefighter, worked in the store when needed.

Walking through Goska’s, Kevin Sosnoski takes pride in pointing out framed family photographs from the early days of the business (many of which can be seen on the store’s website at Goska’s Liquors – History (goskas.com). He loves it when older customers come in and tell him stories about the store or his dad.

Sosnoski really likes the layout of what he describes as the store’s shabby chic interior but has fond memories of what was where during earlier times. Moving into an alcove now deemed the Liquor Room where spirits are displayed, he notes that it is the former kitchen where the deli counter was located. An interesting touch in the Liquor Room is the Jack Daniels display which features a miniature figure of the brewery’s founder.

Goska’s also carries bottles of Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey. Nathan “Nearest” Green was the nation’s first African American master distiller. A former slave, Uncle Nearest taught a poverty-stricken but eager-to-learn young white boy everything he knew about distilling. That young boy was Jack Daniels.

A popular product found on the shelves of the Liquor Room is “Moonshine” which is now legal but is reminiscent of the 1920’s and early ’30’s when the business operated as a general store and Prohibition was in full flower. It is not known whether the Kleiss family or Goska brothers would have considered carrying such a product but it’s fun to have it on the shelves.

Entering the wine section of the store (formerly a dining area) Sosnowski pointed out two openings along the wall that held the store’s entrance and display window.

Wines and domestic and craft beers (of which there is an ever-changing variety) are a mainstay of the business. Sosnoski carries a broad range of varietals but he’s particularly strong on promoting wines from Maryland vineyards which he finds sell quite well.

He notes that the most profitable time for sales of wines and spirits is in the fall and winter, particularly during the holidays.

Cigar smoking may not be quite as popular as it was a few years ago but Goska’s still maintains its glass-enclosed humidor. It’s another product that distinguishes the store.

Customers come by almost any time of the day. A recent sunny afternoon found regular customer Alex Craddock wandering in to buy some brews and a package of Slim Jims.

” I can’t make up my mind whether to go fishing or ride my motorcycle,” Craddock said.

According to staffer Ryan Yesner who was working the counter, being located near the Magothy River means it’s not unusual for a customer to come in mid-afternoon, buy a few items and chat for a few minutes before heading for their boat.

Nor is it unusual for a customer to dash in, pick something up, and dash back out as people are running on such tight schedules these days.

“Things have changed drastically as growth has mushroomed all around us with new businesses everywhere,” Sosnoski said. “Between Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and people driving by here to get off Ritchie Highway, the volume of traffic is unbelievable. Hearing horns honking and people upset is an everyday occurrence 24-7.”

He noted that, like other retail establishments, Goska’s experienced highs and lows as COVID cases and restrictions ebbed and flowed. During the first year of the pandemic, sales increased substantially since all the restaurants that sold spirits were closed. The store gained some new customers during that period, but the volume of business declined once restaurants reopened.

“We’ve seen a number of shifts in the retail scene lately, especially at the supermarkets,” Sosnoski said. “Who knows, we may reopen the deli counter at some point. Meantime, we’ll maintain our high level of customer service and continue to reach out to the community.”

Goska’s has always been active in the community supporting various charities or appearing at occasions like the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s annual Holiday Taste & Sip Events. They hope to remain a source of stability for local customers for years to come.

Good Neighbors Group S(o)UPER BOWL a Winner

Julie Shay, Executive Director of Good Neighbors Group announced that the organization’s fifth annual S(o)UPER BOWL was a success. Neighborhood captains and volunteers collected 15,907 items from 51 neighborhoods for four now overflowing food pantries including the Annapolis Food Bank, SPAN, Inc., ACAN, and My Brother’s Pantry.

This year’s Per House Winner is Erin Garth, a 15 House winner with 10.67 items collected per house. The Neighborhood By Volume winner was West Severna Park with 935 items collected.

Shay and GNG’s board of directors wish to thank all of the neighborhoods that came together as well as the captains who pulled the drive off. For more information on Good Neighbors Group’s good works visit Home – Good Neighbors Group.

To his surprise, guitarist and DJ Michael Kocher found himself busier than ever throughout the COVID pandemic. For the majority of his fellow musicians, however, the COVID lockdowns spelled disaster, bringing their careers to an abrupt halt. Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel as local restaurants, clubs and other venues are bringing in enough revenue to afford to hire entertainers.

Kocher, CEO of Michael K. Music Productions, Inc., credits his ability to keep working to his flexibility as an artist and deep ties to the community.

“I’ve kind of been an exception to the rule and managed to remain extremely busy.” he said.

Fronting a band called Pretty Big Deal with musicians Joe Glumsic, Todd Kreuzburg and Ken Crawn, Kocher also works as a solo artist and backs vocalists. During the pandemic, the Pretty Big Deal Band appeared in different configurations – for instance when teaming with another musician as the Pretty Big Duo (seen in the opening photo). In addition, Kocher is well-known as a DJ for various local events.

Among other venues, he appears in Severna Park at Brian Boru, Garry’s Grill and Sullivan’s Cove and in Annapolis at Dark Horse and at Ram’s Head Tavern. He feels very lucky.

“Many full-time musicians were hit very hard,” he said. “I’m not full-time and kept my regular job. I was furloughed temporarily at the beginning of the pandemic but my company continued to pay me so I was never in dire straits. I’m very involved in the local music scene, however, with many friends in the entertainment industry. My friend P. J. Thomas, who works with Neal Bumgarner in a duo called P.J. & Neal, is vice-president of a great organization called the Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians. “

Thomas, who has devoted both her time and talents to raising money for the organization, described AMFM as a nonprofit created in 2006 to provide temporary financial relief to professional Annapolis musicians who can’t work due to sickness, injury, or any other circumstance leaving them unable to perform.

The fund acts as an emergency relief fund for lost income. Since its founding, AMFM has grown to provide additional benefits to the local music community, including catastrophic relief and funding youth music programs through scholarships and private lessons.

“AMFM has given out well over $200,000 to musicians as a result of COVID,” Thomas said. “Many solo/duos were able to perform a lot during COVID but it hit our bands so hard. Drummers, bass players, and others.”

Kocher, recalling what it was like for musicians at the beginning of the pandemic, described an evening where Pretty Big Deal played a reduced capacity engagement at the Rams Head Tavern behind a plexiglass screen which the group jokingly referred to as playing in an aquarium. Nevertheless, they managed to draw about 100 fans.

He remembers that times were terrible for restaurants and he did his best to help them even appearing gratis a few times playing guitar solo outside an eatery while people picked up meals curbside.

Things were equally tough for musicians who usually supplement their income by teaching music lessons because in-person instruction all but stopped. Teaching remotely simply didn’t work.

“Things seem to be coming back now though,” Kocher says. “Venues like Rams Head On Stage are continuing to bring in local talent and lining up lots of bookings while venues like Garry’s Grill that had never booked local talent are continuing to do so.”

Like musicians, actors were also hard hit by the pandemic. Some theaters actually closed their doors and, after 39 years, the famed Capitol Steps political satire group dimmed their stage lights for the last time in January of 2021.

There is a new sense of hope, however, as many theaters, like The Children’s Theater of Annapolis, managed to survive the pandemic. There is more good news for young actors as Severna Park High’s long running Rock ‘N Roll Revival is returning to the stage for a live show.

Rehearsal in full swing for Rock ‘N Roll Revival XXXIII

It’s hard to tell who is happier, Severna Park High School Drama’s young actors or their parents. Absent from the stage for a live performance for two years, the 135 students involved in Rock ‘N Roll Revival XXXIII as cast, band and crew are thrilled at the prospect of once again performing before an audience.

The show’s theme, “Time After Time”, has been kept under wraps but, if past shows are any indication, audiences will be treated to the great music and dance numbers SPHS’ Rock ‘N Roll Revivals are known for.

The show debuts on March 10th. Tickets may be ordered at HOME | Falcon Drama. Show dates are March 10, 11, 12 and 13 and March 17, 18 and 19. All shows are at 7 pm except March 13 for a matinee at 3 pm. All shows require wearing a mask.

According to producer/director Angela Germanos, there will be a Student Rush on March 9 for SPHS students only at $10 per ticket. Tickets will be on sale at lunches that day and at the door (cash only).

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Over the last few years, all the change in a tumultuous world has led many to question whether Valentine’s Day still pulls at heart strings the way it once did. According to surveys carried out by the National Retail Foundation (NRF), American consumers spent approximately $21.8 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2021 – a figure that was a reduction from Valentine’s Day spending in 2020, most likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There doesn’t seem to be a baseline estimate for how much might be spent this year, but Severna Park retailers are hoping for the best. I surveyed several local shop owners and restaurateurs and found that, for the most part, that lovin’ feelin’ hasn’t been lost.

NRF statistics show that candy tops the list for Valentine’s Day sales year after year at 54 percent followed by cards at 44 percent. One glance at the number of customers checking out the candy shelves at the Severna Park Safeway and Giant Food stores confirmed the popularity of heart shaped boxes filled with chocolate buttercreams. (A pure test of wills for the chocoholics among us not to sample one.)

Valentine’s Day cards remain a hot selling article.

“We were just talking about that. We think Valentine cards are as popular as ever,” said Banner’s Hallmark Shop employee Peggy Marino. “We’re discussing bringing more help in here on Sunday because we’ll be so busy.”

Marino added that not only will the Park Plaza shop be doing a brisk business from Friday through Monday, but the company’s other stores will see heavy traffic too.

While sweet and simple cards remain a big part of the inventory, pop-up Valentine cards are extremely popular. Marino notes that Valentine’s Day is no longer a holiday for sweethearts only but is now a family affair with pets often included. Thus, many gifts are purchased along with Valentine-themed giftwrap or giftbags, so the holiday remains quite a boost for the store.

There are many local businesses providing gifts or special treats ranging the gamut from Valentine cakes and cookies or flowers to special menus from our favorite eateries. Sticking with the idea of sweets for one’s sweetie from local bakeries, we discovered that Kirsten’s Cakery has teamed with Moondance Cookies this year to supply heart-trimmed cakes and cookies aplenty.

Talented chef, baker and Cakes & Confections owner Michael Brown is pretty upbeat about the holiday this year.

Brown believes that Valentine’s Day has generally been good for sales and feels it has the same impact it’s had in the past.

“The COVID epidemic caused orders to fluctuate a little over the past year or so. But this year’s Valentine’s Day sales are fairly robust,” he said.

Brown added that Cakes & Confections’ timeframe for accepting custom Valentine cake orders for 2022 was compressed due to the Super Bowl which happens the day before. With orders for back-to-back occasions rolling in, he found it necessary to cut off orders for custom cakes on Tuesday, February 8th. However, he still has elaborately decorated pre-made Valentine cakes like the one above in his showcase for customers to pick from.

Considered the most romantic holiday of the year, Valentine’s Day customarily brings couples to local restaurants, most of which offer special menus for the day. Wondering if that would be the case this year, we first spoke with Cafe Mezzanotte manager Krista Corvin.

“I haven’t been on staff long enough to gauge how well we’re doing compared to other years, but I’m pleased to report we already have reservations for Valentine’s Day for a number of two-tops (tables for two). That’s great since the holiday occurs on a Monday,” Corvin said. “We’re offering a special five-course Valentine’s Weekend tasting menu Friday through Monday.”

Approached with the same question, Park Tavern manager Rich Weddle said “It’s a question we’ve been wondering ourselves since Valentine’s Day is on Monday right after the Superbowl on Sunday. We already know JB’s, Severna Park, our sister 206 Restaurant Group venue, will be packed for the Superbowl. We’re expect our more upscale date-night favorite Park Tavern to draw Valentine’s Day celebrants.

To set the mood, Weddle personally created a selection of “Cupids & Cocktails” drinks pictured below that are being featured throughout February.

“Our chef’s been busy, as well, creating Valentine inspired menus,” Weddle said. “For Saturday and Sunday brunch he’s offering the same Red Velvet Pancakes that were a hit last year. He’s preparing a special menu for Valentine’s Day and, to top it off, he’s created a Triple-A Red Velvet Cheesecake for dessert.”

We checked in with Zachary’s Jewelers to see if Valentine’s Day remains a potent time of the year with its customers. According to employee Evangeline Ross, the holiday still has quite an impact.

“For us, the biggest holiday is Christmas. However, we always get an uptick of business at this time of year,” Ross said. “People buy Valentine’s gifts and, since February’s birthstone is amethyst, a bracelet or ring with that gem is popular among others.

“February 14th being the year’s most romantic holiday, it’s a day many young men choose to propose,” she added. “We sometimes see them before but, more often, they’ll come in just after with their fiancées for an engagement ring and/or wedding band.”

Of course, how can you say “I love you” better than with a bouquet of beautiful flowers. Formal Valentine arrangements or the forever popular bouquet of a dozen red roses may be ordered from florists like Severna Flowers and Gifts on McKinsey Road.

For more casual Valentine’s Day bouquets, Megan Taylor’s Peaceful Petals Flower Shop has lots to offer. Taylor believes the holiday has a great impact for her business.

“I was wondering what would happen with the Superbowl being the day before and Valentine’s Day falling on a Monday. However, I only put out one email and I’ve already surpassed last year’s orders for Valentine bouquets,” she said.

The nice thing about Peaceful Petals is that you can buy a single stem or two for your beloved from the Flower Bar, create your own Valentine bouquet using a cluster of flowers, or order a premade bouquet.

“We have a pre-order option with three separate prices, the first being a modest priced standard size bouquet or larger, more robust bouquets for those wishing to go all out,” Taylor said.

Known for sourcing its flowers from local or regional growers, Peaceful Petals’ bouquets are created from “florists’ choice blooms”. Instead of having a large quantity of red roses shipped in, the shop will have roses in reds and pinks and lavenders combined with other flowers like Ranunculus and pretty fillers. Taylor tries to keep the bouquets unique, special and exciting.

This quick survey suggests that Valentine’s Day is still special, exciting and a welcome business boost.

A Valentine’s Day Tai Chi class part of Jing Ying’s Lunar New Year celebration

Beginning February 1, the Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi began its month-long celebration of the Lunar New Year (known more popularly as the Chinese New Year). Based on a traditional lunisolar calendar, the Lunar New Year festival has been celebrated for centuries in China, South Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere. The year 2022 is known as “The Year of the Tiger”.

According to owners Billy and Nancy Greer, Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi has made Lunar New Year activities an important part of giving back to the local community for the past 22 years. Among activities planned for this year’s celebration is a free Valentine’s Day Tai Chi and Qigong Class exercise class on February 14 from 10:30 to 11:30 am.

Other in-person activities include a free Family Kung Fu Class on February 15 from 6:30 to 7:15 pm and a Chinese Calligraphy Class on February 25 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm for a cost of $5 to cover the cost of supplies.

For information on these or other events, visit Best Martial Arts Program in Annapolis, Severna Park (jingying.org)

Reading a copy of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails‘ Trail Talk we noticed that B&A Trail users are a trifle frustrated that the project to reconstruct the bridge over Joyce Lane has not been completed. Curious to know how the project is coming along, we ventured to Joyce Lane last Friday.

An Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks website B&A Trail Closures and Detours notice says work to replace the Joyce Lane Bridge began October 20, 2021 and should be completed by late February or March depending on weather delays.

With snow flying, it was obvious that work would be delayed a bit longer.

Passing beneath the structure before turning around, the view opened to a pasture where horses were grazing by a hay bin and didn’t seem to mind the icy conditions.

The scene reminded us that the Baltimore Annapolis Trail affords many beautiful vistas for trail users no matter what time of year.

Mounting a hill to the trail, we approached the construction from the north and were greeted by gates on both the north and south sides of the bridge with signage warning “Construction Area, Keep Out”.

It’s understandable why trail users are disappointed to have to stop and turn back. Since its completion in 1990, the trail has been in continuous use by hikers, bikers, runners, walkers and those who use it simply to get from one place to another. According to Jack Keene, president of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails, the Joyce Lane Bridge is one of five built or rebuilt along the Baltimore Annapolis Trail when construction over the tracks of the original Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line Railroad began in 1985.

Running from Boulters Way in Annapolis to Dorsey Road in Glen Burnie, the route is both scenic and historic. The county spent $9 million on the project, which included paving 13.3 miles of trail and restoring two historic buildings. But before it became the B&A Trail, the artery was a railroad beloved by local residents.

To quote a B&A Trail brochure written in 1992, “For eighty-one years the railroad along the north shore of the Severn River between Baltimore and Annapolis provided passenger and freight service to northern Anne Arundel County, connecting a relatively poor, isolated backwater to the most important urban center of Maryland. With a bewildering series of name changes and company reorganizations, and operating, in turn, under steam, electric, and diesel power, it substantially altered the long-held patterns of transportation and land use in the area.”

Chartered in 1880, the Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line was constructed in 1886 and 1887. As many as 1,100 Italians and blacks with over 50 teams of horses worked to grade the bed and lay the tracks earning between $1 and $1.50 per day. All the stations were three-sided shacks including the one in Boone, Maryland which later became Severna Park (on land sold to the railroad by Thomas Boone and wife Elizabeth Linstead Boone.)

Communities soon sprang up near the tracks. Within a few years, six post offices and a number of stations were established in already existing homes/stores or they were built for the purpose. The current day Park Ranger Station & Musem at Earleigh Heights was built as Frost’s General Store in 1889 and operated as a post office as well.

Built-for-the-purpose in 1919, the Severna Park Railroad Station replaced the earlier three-sided shack erected in 1906 and also contained a post office for a number of years. It still exists today as home to the Severna Park Model Railroad Club. Just above the station is the original rail crossing warning sign which today marks the point at which the B&A Trail crosses Riggs Avenue.

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Another landmark that still exists is the former substation for the railroad when it was electrified in 1908 which has been serving as the Anne Arrundell County Historical Society’s Store at Jones Station (that also houses exhibits including artifacts from Dawson’s Country Store). High tension feeders entered the building through the large holes on the top of the wall on the north side.

A company reorganization in 1894 changed the name to Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad. Merging with the Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railroad in 1921, the company made improvements including rebuilding the trestle bridge across the Severn River. The railroad struggled through the Depression and went bankrupt in 1931. Reorganized, it became profitable again with the onset of World War II when troops were moved across the country by rail and gas rationing made it popular with the local populace.

After the war, with increased demand for automobiles and the development of Ritchie Highway, passenger service for the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line was discontinued in 1950. Freight service to Annapolis continued to Annapolis until 1968.

Keene, who is very knowledgeable about the building of the B&A Trail, noted that it was built over the railroad tracks in five phases.

“The bridge being reconstructed at Joyce Lane wasn’t original to the railroad but was replaced when the trail was constructed in the late 1980’s,” he said. “I don’t recall whether there was any steelwork left from when it was a railroad bridge. However, the two concrete abutments that you see on either side of the road when approaching from beneath were part of the original railroad bridge.”

Keene added that the engineers were worried even then about how sound the abutment structures would be and decided to buy a premanufactured bridge that would be longer than the original railroad bridge. They spread-footed the bridge at each end with a concrete pad to go over top of those abutments (about six inches above them) eliminating the safety issue. Given the choice to have the abutments removed, the residents of Joyce Lane chose not to as they appreciate the added measure of privacy they afford the community.

The nearby Round Bay Bridge is the only remaining bridge completely built by the railroad. It was paved over during the late 80’s construction. For safety purposes, the Department of Recreation and Parks erected a wooden frame around it.

New to the trail, but not exactly new, was the Marley Creek bridge – originally a culvert that was washed entirely out during hurricane Agnes and required bridging. The Recreation and Parks Department found a historic single lane brush bridge in Missouri that was being offered for preservation. Their bid on it was accepted and they installed it across Marley Creek.

A culvert at Old County Road in Arnold also washed out in a storm by runoff required construction of a fourth bridge while the fifth bridge over East West Boulevard was built by the Department of Public Works as part of the construction of the road. One additional bridge was constructed over Route 100.

Scenes like the one above are part of the charm of the Baltimore Annapolis Trail. Viewable from the Joyce Lane Bridge, the fields populated by these horses are a reminder of the rural landscape that the B & A Railroad once traveled through. Here’s hoping that by springtime trail users will be able to cross the bridge along this historic path and gaze into the past.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

An image of the picturesque blue cottage at 8 Evergreen Road as part of a photo essay by Severna Park native Lauren Garber shot following a recent snowstorm and shared on Facebook evoked a touch of nostalgia for those of us who saw it. She kindly allowed us to use it as our opening photo. We recalled that its exterior and interior appearance changed several times over the past decade and a half. But it actually has a much longer history as part of a family home.

According to local historian Scott Jay, the little cottage across from Severna Park Elementary School was built in the early 1950’s by businessman Howard Wheeler as an annex to his home. It was first used as Wheeler’s office and later as a combination laundry room and playroom for his children Howard, Janice and Judy.

The first alteration to the cottage, which had fallen into disuse, came in 2007 when owners Lauren and Kevin Russell and Larry Strasser chose to use it as a showroom for Russell & Mackenna’s coastal style furniture.

Starting with a tall, skinny bookcase, designer Lauren Russell, the company’s founder and creative director, began building furniture for her Round Bay home in a one-car garage with help from husband Kevin in 2002. Her pieces were admired by friends and neighbors who quickly became clients, one of whom ordered half a dozen of Russel’s vanities along with an $18,000 deposit check which the couple used for seed money to start their company. Lauren’s father Larry Strasser, a former CEO, joined the firm as president and created a business plan.

The company quickly progressed from the garage to a warehouse space and, subsequently to a plant and storage facility in Jessup. On reaching sales of a quarter of a million dollars a year, they partnered with a wood furniture building plant in Dover, Delaware.

Meantime, Lauren Russell found the perfect place for a showroom – what she described as “a shed in Olde Severna Park opposite the elementary school”. It was owned by Quayle & Company Designs by that time. Lauren Russel and Hal Quayle transformed it into the quaint cottage space seen below. In the same year, Sarah Wright joined the team to manage the flagship store and they moved in.

Russell’s beautiful little gem of a showroom, with its brilliantly colored glass balls and vases, an array of chic accessories and colorful coastal styled furniture, drew customers from far and near. Both Russell and Wright remembered that a number of visitors to the location said they had visited the cottage as children when it was a playroom, crossing the street after school to visit the Wheeler children.

Already doing a robust online sales business and having partnered with a design center called Urban County, the company continued growing by leaps and bounds. The “coastal look” they helped popularize, with its sea-meets-land-toned furnishings, drew the attention of national publications including the Wall Street Journal. The team even painted the exterior of their cottage showroom the company’s signature periwinkle blue.

But more changes were on the way. By April of 2011, Russell & MacKenna had acquired the intellectual property of Maine Cottage, taking on its prestigious name. As Maine Cottage, their business continued to expand.

As 2011 came to a close, the team realized they needed even more space and moved their flagship store from the cottage to a larger location in Annapolis. D. Wayne Speight of Speight Studio Architects briefly considered moving in at that point but found it was just too small and, instead, relocated to 540 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard.

On New Years Eve of 2011, the Paper Trousseau moved from their storefront location at 554 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard to the little blue cottage. A few months earlier, Paper Trousseau’s owner Tammi Molavi initiated a collaboration with fellow artists Christie Sappington, who owned Christie Sappington Designs, and Cink Deveas, who owned Cink Art, to operate together under the banner “The Studios at Paper Trousseau” in the new location.
  

Molavi’s decision to move from her original B&A Boulevard storefront grew out of a need to eliminate her shop’s retail sales operation and focus on event and wedding invitations and fine stationary. Eliminating retail meant less space was needed. So, when Maine Cottage relocated to Annapolis, the three women jumped at the chance to acquire the cottage.

 Still owned by Quayle & Company Designs, which also owned the building behind it, the cottage had lots of windows, the interior was well lit and it provided needed workspace. Event invitations were Paper Trousseau’s primary thrust with Molavi an expert wedding consultant, Deveas a popular sketch artist and graphic designer and artist Sappington a store design/merchandising specialist who also developed a line of decorative wedding accessories.

Paper Trousseau occupied the location for a little over nine months before the trio was ready to move on. Molavi believes that, for a brief period, the cottage was used by interior design firm Barefoot Dwelling which Mary Quayle was a partner in. The company is currently located in Annapolis.

In 2013, Sew Beautiful owner Margaret Blunt moved her design firm into the quaint blue cottage that is currently owned by David Orso who uses the building behind it (formerly owned by Quayle & Company Designs) as headquarters for the David Orso Team.

Sew Beautiful has been there ever since. Blunt made the cottage truly her own by painting it Tiffany blue and adding a bright orange door as seen in the opening photograph. She also gave the interior of the cottage an initial facelift and subsequent updates.

Blunt has actually been designing rooms for Severna Park residents for 21 years, providing beautifully made custom window treatments, cushions, pillows and bedding, upholstery, slip covers, area rugs and more. She began Sew Beautiful in a workroom in her home and expanded it to a leading design firm in the greater Annapolis area.

Her staff – designers Ronnie Harmon and Sarah Kraus, project manager Amy Publicover, and installer Greg Brinsley – are expert at what they do and excel in giving customers what they are looking for be it rescuing a beloved couch or chair or designing a new room. They all like the way the cottage’s light and bright interior looks today.

“We just celebrated our 20th anniversary last year,” Blunt said. “Today we are a full interior design firm. Our main focus remains fabricating custom window treatments, bedding, cushions and other soft furnishings for homeowners in the greater Annapolis area. However, we’re able to provide so much more.”

While Blunt is staying put for the forseeable future, we can report that Tammi Molavi moved on to create j.lolly, a table setting design business, with partner Michelle Hickman.

Lauren Russell and partner Sarah Wright briefly sold part of Maine Cottage’s equity to Balsam Brands. But they bought the business back in 2019. Russell has moved to Vero Beach, Florida and runs the creative end of the business from there while Sarah runs operations from Maine Cottage’s offices in West Annapolis. Luckily, the partners shifted primarily to online sales for consumers and the trade in 2019 which turned out to be fortunate when COVID-19 hit. Maine Cottage fans can currently see its full array of products by visiting Maine Cottage® Official Site | Where Color Lives!

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

Consumers have been shocked by empty shelves in local supermarkets recently but imagine the impact local retailers and restaurateurs are feeling as the products they depend on for their customers are in short supply while prices soar.

Challenges that began two years ago with Maryland’s first COVID-19 cases resulted in shipping delays at ports, trucking and air transportation problems and labor shortages across all businesses. Particularly hard hit are food service businesses, from restaurants to coffee shops, fast food establishments, bakeries and caterers.

April’s Table owner, April Cunningham, described the difficulties most small independent business owners are having when asked if supply chain problems are affecting her catering business.

“Yes, we are experiencing supply problems – whether it be specific to certain brands or items, distribution, or quality. It’s all coming into play right now,” Cunningham said. “Even paper products are difficult and hard to come by.  The price hikes make it even worse because what we can get our hands on is exponentially more expensive than either what we’ve quoted, or what our clientele have grown accustomed to.  I’m certain any food business is having similar trouble.”

We sampled other food related businesses, checking in with Greg Keating, managing partner for the 206 Restaurant Group that owns Park Tavern and JB’s at Park Plaza.

“It’s been challenging for us to get certain items, especially proteins, for quite some time,” Keating said. “But now, the problems we’re facing have more to do with operating supplies – for example carryout containers. The demand for to-go items has been high because of COVID carryout ordering and third-party ordering. That demand dealt a hard hit to the supply chain, meaning we’ve had to adapt to changing materials over time. We’ve been able to weather the problem fairly well but it’s been an on-again, off again challenge for us.”

Asked if inflationary prices for certain items are an issue, he agreed that they are.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in prices when it comes to proteins, particularly for things like crabmeat and beef,” he said. “We refresh our menus accordingly. We’ve had to take crab off the Park Tavern menu because of the dramatic price rise for crabmeat. It went from $18 per pound two years ago for jumbo lump crabmeat to $49 a pound thirty days ago.”

Keating notes that, all up and down the supply chain, the labor shortages he’s seeing for restaurants are just as challenging for the growers and food manufacturers. Shortages of materials required to grow or produce products are slowing progress. However, he does feel things have eased slightly in the last two months.

For Shipley’s Choice couple Clint and Elizabeth Jones, who own Sizzle Shack and Beach Tables, the going has not been easy.

“Supply chain and inflationary prices have been a major disruption to both our businesses,” Clint Jones said. “For Beach Tables, materials that we need can’t be sourced and limit our production. When we can get our supplies, prices are up at least 20%.”

He added that, for Sizzle Shack, there is no consistency in what he can find in stock for food or packaging.

“Our business relies heavily on crab meat which was out of stock for some time,” he said. “Now that we can get crabmeat, it has more than doubled in price. We try to stay close to our original price but this situation has required us to raise our prices across the board.

While Sizzle Shack has an array of great menu items from pulled pork, Italian meatballs and Chicken Parm to sliders, Clint’s signature crab cakes are a customer favorite. They’re an item he feels he can’t do without.

Sizzle Shack takes online orders only with meal delivery service at www.thesizzleshack.com. You check out both businesses on Facebook and Instagram.

Non-food retailers have had to adjust and adapt to their own set of challenges. Heather Summers, owner of Park Home with husband Scott, said supply chain issues for stores like theirs have been happening for two years now.

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“You won’t find any businesses who haven’t faced delays getting merchandise. Everything takes longer,” Summers said. “Likewise, price increases have been seen across every industry depending on the product and how it’s being transported.”

Thanks to the Summers’ practice of ordering beyond what they need for any given season, Park Home is fully stocked with furnishings and accessories geared to the coastal look.

Switching gears, we spoke with Mike McNealy, the owner of Severna Park Automotive which has had its own share of supply chain headaches.

“There have been off-and-on disruptions, some of which were strange,” McNealy said. “At one time we couldn’t get a particular aerosol chemical called Brake Clean that’s used to clean bake parts because there was a can shortage. We also had to switch oil filter suppliers because the company we normally used was totally out of the line of filters we needed. Now we’re having trouble getting synthetic oils from some vendors. It’s especially hard to find 0W20. For quite a while it was hard to find window washer solvent.”

“The pricing for everything, across the board, has gone through the roof,” he added. ” The price of gas is high and the cost of most products has doubled. It’s definitely impacted us and we’ve had to adjust our prices. We can’t just absorb the costs without passing some of it along to the consumer.”

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Ever expanding its community outreach, the Good Neighbors Group founded by executive director Julie Shay in 2006 accomplished a total of 14 projects during 2021 in spite of many challenges.

Among other things, GNG volunteers collected hundreds of coats for families, collected and mailed Halloween candy to deployed soldiers, donated over 150 units of blood to Luminis/Anne Arundel Medical Center, provided Thanksgiving dinners for 200 families, and collected over 20,500 items for food pantries during their 2021 S(o)UPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE.

Deeply dedicated to environmental projects the group also cleared invasive vines from Beachwood Park and the Baltimore Annapolis Trail, planted native gardens in public spaces (including one behind Park Salon as seen in the opening photo), and picked up litter from local roadways and waterways.

Shay said GNG is grateful for the volunteers and donors who made so many projects possible during 2021 in spite of problems associated with the COVID pandemic. She adds that the group remains inspired and the game is already on for 2022’s most significant event.

“I’m about to send out the flyer for our fifth annual S(o)UPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE which will take place from February 10 through 13 with food delivered on the 13th, ” she said. “Last year’s drive broke all previous records with a total of 44 neighborhoods participating and tripled the amount of food collected.”

She added that GNG will, hopefully, duplicate last year’s donations to four primary organization’s including the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, SPAN, Inc. on Benfield Road, ACAN (Asbury Church Assistance Network) on Asbury Drive and My Brother’s Pantry in Arnold. The group would also like to expand the number of neighborhoods participating on the Broadneck Peninsula which currently stands at nine. Mezzanotte will again be participating in the drive as a sponsor.

Over the course of four days, neighborhood captains will volunteer their homes as collection points for donations of food and household items. The items tend to spill across every unoccupied space – from back porches and garages to kitchen counters, dining room tables, living room or bedroom floors. Entire families get involved in the process, with children happy to help out.

Delivery days are quite an endeavor as neighborhood captains load the items into their cars and head for their designated drop off organizations. Last year, Mackenzie Grossman and her younger brother Emerson helped carry packages as their father Jeremiah, neighborhood captain for Olde Severna Park, packed donations into the family SUV, then sat in the middle of it all.

It was quite an accomplishment to deliver almost 21,000 food pantry donations but the neighborhood captains persisted to the delight of the recipient organizations.

Volunteers truly enjoy being involved in all the GNG initiatives.

Kathie Hamlett began volunteering with GNG a few years ago.  She started as a “project” volunteer meaning she would help out when someone was needed for an hour or two for an event or when GNG was looking for donations.  Eventually, her involvement evolved into helping out with the bimonthly Blood Drive during 2021.  Currently, she’s looking forward to helping out with the S(o)UPER BOWL drive as it kicks off.  

“I love supporting GNG because everyone can help in some capacity,” Hamlett said.   “There is a place for everyone, the person who is able to give an hour and the person who is able to give more. I enjoy being a part of a group that is filling existing needs of the community.  GNG offers the opportunity to get involved with my community and give back and meet new friends. One time I was volunteering collecting coats and discovered one of my dear friends was volunteering on the other end delivering the coats that I had helped to collect. It makes me feel good that I am able to help others.”

Hamlett’s and the other volunteers’ help will be needed more than ever this year. According to Shay, several community food drives like Harvest For The Hungry, an annual mail carrier’s drive and a Boy Scouts’ drive that have been instrumental in filling food pantries shelves during the winter months did not happen because of the pandemic.

In addition to continuing with ongoing programs, Shay and GNG board members including Chris Myers are hoping to relaunch their annual Earth Day Festival.

“We’re waiting to see what happens with the schools as we’ve held the festival in the past at Severna Park Middle School or Severna Park High School,” Shay said. “We reserved the date of the last Saturday in April and we’re hoping to hear by the end of the month if we will be able to hold it at one of the schools. If not, we’ll do something different but we are definitely doing some sort of outdoor Earthday celebration.”

GNG is also working on a new effort called “Donations Before Dumpsters” which is aimed at making it easy for people to find homes for items they no longer need instead of sending them to the landfill.

“We need to make it quick and convenient for people to find information and sources. We’re getting the word out to residents in hyper-local circles.” said Shay. “However, we also want to reach realtors and contractors who know of people who are renovating, moving or downsizing.”

Shay’s original idea in forming the Good Neighbors Group was to bring people together. She’d noticed that the more technology we have, the more people feel isolated; the more our neighborhoods are developed and overcrowded, the more people fence themselves off. She foresaw GNG as a perfect antidote through making the effort to unite people in good causes. In doing so, the group has recreated a sense of community.

For information or to volunteer follow Good Neighbors Group on Facebook or at Home – Good Neighbors Group.

Greater Severna Park Council passes motion opposing development of Mt. Misery

We received a tip from Magothy River Association member Karen Royer that the organization’s president Paul Spadaro built the model pictured below to show how steep the slopes are on the hill in Round Bay called Mt. Misery where a developer wants to build two houses.  (Mt. Misery is historically significant in that it was the sight of a Union fortification during the Civil War. The fort was later used as a camp for local Boy Scout Troops.)

The developer was granted a variance to the County code that says nothing can be built in the Critical Area on anything greater than a 15 degree slope.  The slopes on Mt. Misery are 51% on the Severn River side and 33% on the Magothy side, so the variance never should have been granted.  The Greater Severna Park Council just passed a motion that unanimously opposes the plans to build on the Mt Misery hill.  The Magothy River Facebook page has some pictures and Spadaro is going to post a drone video showing the narrow top of the hill and the steep slopes.

For more information on the Magothy River Association, follow them on Facebook or visit Home – Magothy River Association.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Imagine our surprise when, following a New Year weekend with temperatures in the mid 60’s, we woke Monday morning to 10 inches of snow and temperatures dropping into the teens.

Glances out the window confirmed that, for the moment, we were snowed in. Though beautiful, the heavy, wet snow bent tree branches nearly to the ground and the winds were creating drifts. Snowplows were absent from many Severna Park communities and there were scattered power failures. However, neighbors soon popped out of their houses to dig out their cars and clear driveways while their children found the nearest hill to sled down or snowdrift to make snow angels in.

Outdoors, there was damage to deal with in the aftermath of the storm. Everywhere one looked, there were broken branches and fallen trees.

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According to Lou Meyer at The Davey Tree Expert Company, after a snowstorm, cleaning up downed branches can help you evaluate the damage to your trees and help the landscape recover. Branches can be resting on valuable landscape plants and shrubs and putting pressure on them as the snow melts, potentially causing damage.  They are also tripping hazards.  Meyer warns those cleaning up to make sure there are no downed power lines or trees leaning on power lines.

He adds that, when limbs break in snowstorms and leave a splintered stub, it’s an invitation for decay to develop in the tree.

“Trees have a ridge called a ‘branch bark collar’ where a subordinate stem meets a parent stem, for instance where a branch meets the trunk of the tree. Within this ridge there is a group of cells known as the branch defense zone, which activate healing when exposed.  Leaving the splintered stub after the storm prevents these cells from allowing the wound to heal. ”

Branches can easily be pruned but larger limbs would be best removed by a professional from a local garden center or tree service.

Cleanup from the storm remains a work in progress but, most of the time, we’ve remained cozy inside, our thoughts turning to what lies ahead. For gardeners, that means thinking about what we want to plant in our spring flower and vegetable beds. We inventory seeds we have on hand that are still viable and scan paper and virtual seed catalogs for what’s new. We’ll also phone our local garden centers to see when the new seeds will be available.

Anne Arundel County Farm, Lawn & Garden owner Cory Stephens and staff began working on their displays of flower and vegetable seeds on Monday. According to staff member Karen, the new seeds just came in and it’s taking a while to assemble them in the displays according to manufacturer and in alphabetical order. She noted that certain varieties of seeds for things like tomatoes, peppers and carrots that are favored by customers for their hardiness and reliability sell out quickly. Lettuces and cold weather greens sell especially well – particularly kale which AA Farm, Lawn and Garden sells a lot of.

“You can start cold weather crops in the ground in March. However, we sell everything people need to start their plants indoors eight weeks before the last frost,” she said. “We sell seed staring trays and inserts, grow lights and heat mats on which to set the plant trays. It’s wise to start the seeds in an organic growing medium like Espoma.”

Favorite herbs like parsley and basil and vegetable plants like Amaranth started indoors early, will grow like wildfire when transplanted and set outdoors on sunny spring days. Customers can find more information at AA Co. Farm Lawn & Garden (aalawnandgarden.com).

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Popping in at Homestead Gardens Severna Park, we found some seeds already displayed (as seen in the opening photo) but the store was still waiting for the bulk of them to arrive and be put out.

Homestead Perennial Supervisor Alice Milchling said it’s early yet. However, she expects the trend for sustainable gardening that’s been dominant for the past two years to continue. Supply chain issues and inflationary prices for produce of all kinds at the grocery store may create even more new gardeners. Spring garden products and events will shortly be posted on the store’s website at Severna Park Store – Homestead Gardens, Inc.

At Homestead Gardens Davidsonville, the staff was in catch-up mode with a great deal of inventory work and clearing out to do from their extensive exterior and interior holiday displays.

“We have a lot of work still to do and won’t be putting out our garden seed displays until February when it’s time to start the cold crops,” said Homestead gardening expert Dave Kemon.

He noted that the gardening department is happy to advise customers who want to start their seed indoors ahead of time. There is also a lot of information on the Homestead Gardens website about what customers will need, when to start which plants, etc.

Like last year, Kemon expects seeds for some plants to sell out quickly.

“It’s been that way for the last two years. With everything that’s going on in the world, people want to grow their own stuff.” he said. “Taking into consideration inflation and supply chain problems, we think we’ll sell even more seeds and supplies.”

Kemon added that both branches of Homestead Gardens carry a full spectrum of organic and regular seeds including well-known brands like Lake Valley and Renee’s Garden Seeds. Cold crop seeds for lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and rhubarb, to name a few, can be started inside with a grow light or heat mat and seed-starting soil (a light-weight mixture that plant roots can penetrate through). Homestead also carries plant trays and peat pots.

For information on seeds, plants and spring events visit Homestead Gardens – Garden Supplies, Nursery, and Landscaping.

Starting a few favorite herbs, vegetables or flowers now (like the garlic chives pictured below) will delight gardeners come summer when they will see their efforts amply rewarded.