Author: wingsorb@aol.com

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Oriental in design, the entrance to the Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi, with its scrolled portico, mossy garden and tinkling blue bells, hints at what lies within.

Inside, the Arnold-based school’s owners and teachers, Nancy and Billy Greer, flow from one graceful movement to the next as they demonstrate the martial arts of Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

Having recently celebrated the school’s 20th Anniversary, the couple reflected on how they have sustained a small business focused on teaching martial arts while, at the same time, taking an active role in the greater Severna Park and Arnold communities and helping local charities.

Nancy was quick to mention that in the decades since opening their school there has been steady growth in the disciplines of Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Having originated within families in China as a self-defense mechanism, the complimentary arts are, at once, active, cerebral, communal and meditative.

“It’s amazing that the martial arts forms we were drawn to as a young couple became a major part of our lives,” she said.

Billy Greer picked up their story, going back to the very beginning.

“Growing up in the 1970’s, Bruce Lee movies from Hong Kong were very popular.,” he said. “On Saturday mornings, my brothers and I loved watching “Kung Fu Theater” which presented two or three of Lee’s badly-dubbed films at a time. However, becoming an actual participant in martial arts I owe to Nancy. ”

Dating while attending colleges near each other, Nancy became aware of Billy’s interest in Kung Fu. She bought him a pair of nunchucks – a weapon popularized by Bruce Lee consisting of two pieces of wood connected by a short piece of rope. His appetite for martial arts whetted by her gift, Billy’s interest turned serious.

During the early years of the Greers’ marriage, he was reading about and studying the subject. Figuring it was time for him to stop talking about martial arts and get involved, Nancy gave him an anniversary present of lessons at a local martial arts school.

Billy says he enjoyed the training but the school was more focused on karate which didn’t feel quite right. After the trial was over, he tried another school and then another which taught Kung Fu. Right away, the second school clicked so he and Nancy both signed up for lessons in the same form of Kung Fu they teach today.

“Like in the movies, the school was right above a laundromat,” Nancy remembered.

The pair learned the differences between karate, which can be compared to a stick used intuitively and forcefully, and Kung Fu which is like a properly used whip which is more circular and soft. It’s the softness that paradoxically develops the hardness and power.

Kung Fu is taught dynamically to develop speed and power while Tai Chi , a form of Kung Fu, slows everything down. The purpose of slowing down is to make everything faster. By training and relaxing the muscles and eliminating wasted motion, practitioners enhance their coordination. Then, when they speed up the motion, they’re moving very precisely.

Sadly, the school closed. But fate moves in mysterious ways. There were no similar facilities in the area. So, wanting to keep the training going, Billy formed a club for students of the former school. Able to use facilities at a local high school, they held lessons once a week and sometimes had guest teachers. When new schools opened in the area, the club dissolved.

Fortunately, Greer continued his training with good teachers. He explains that, instead of a system of rankings, Kung Fu has more of a “family” structure of students and teachers. He’s has mastered the training to the point where he has become a teacher and Shifu or a “father”. He is also a “disciple” of Kung Fu Master Willy Lin who brought the art to the United States 40 years ago and Tai Chi Master Chen ZhengLei – rarely bestowed honors.

In 2000, following the closing of another school in Annapolis, the Jing Ying Institute opened at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in Arnold, teaching Kung Fu and Tai Chi to students from ages four to 94. The Greers took over the school and after making it their full-time business, it has steadily grown in the years since.

Easygoing and generous by nature, the Greers easily adapted to the tenets of Kung Fu, creating a welcoming, family and community oriented exercise environment that also extends to the Wednesday morning classes they hold weekly at the Severna Park Community Center.

Students are drawn to Jing Ying Institute classes for many reasons, not the least of which is the health benefits derived from Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Modern scientific studies, including a Harvard medical study conclude that Tai Chi, specifically, improves bone density, blood pressure, reduces stress, and improves strength, flexibility and balance. It encourages healthy socialization and also is meditative in that your thoughts are totally focused on the movement you are performing screening out random thoughts and calming your mind.

“We like to say Jing Ying emphasizes Self Defense and Health Defense,” Nancy said.

From the beginning, Jing Ying Institute honored the Kung Fu objective of “becoming good persons” by becoming involved with the community. They encouraged students to participate with them in causes ranging from raising funds for huge disasters like the Southeast Asian Tsunami of 2004 to raising funds for local institutions like SPAN.

In addition to learning how much their students wanted and appreciated opportunities to help their community, the Greers made a very important discovery.

“We realized we were of too modest means to be philanthropists ourselves but we have a space in which to bring the community together to make individual contributions and our students, in particular, welcomed the opportunity to do so.,” Billy said. “Altogether, we raised $115,000 for charities ranging from SPAN, Inc., Bello Machre and the Bernie House to Ark of the Chesapeake among others.”

For the fifth year, the Greers and students will participate in the “Kick Alzheimer’s to the Curb!” Walk to End Alzheimers at Sandy Point State Park on Sunday, October 17.

Jing Ying Institute and the Greers, personally, have contributed much by helping to organize and participating in community events. Nancy is a past president and board member of The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce and still chairs various committees. Among other events, she has helped organize the Anne Arundel County Police Eastern District’s National Night Out at Earleigh Heights Firehouse. She’s also an ASPIRE award winner and a Maryland Small Business Association Women In Business Champion.

Jing Ying students are champions too. Though tournaments are not really a feature of the school and not a focus of the training, students do participate in an occasional competition as a way of sharpening their skills. Thus, they have collected an impressive array of trophies over the years that the school displays above one wall.

In addition, the Greers and their students take part in many local events including the Severna Park Independence Day Parade and National Night Out performing martial arts demonstrations and their famous Lion Dance. The Jing Ying Lion (which some people mistake for a dragon), a product of an artist’s imagination, originated because there were no lions in China.

Nancy and Billy Greer and the Lion tend to pop up at many different events and will be doing so again as Gold Level sponsors and participants at the Greater Severna Park and Arnold’s Shoptoberfest next Saturday, October 23 from 11 am to 3 pm. They’ll also be hosting Jing Ying’s Halloween Drive-Thru at the school on Saturday, October 30 from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Decorate your car and/or wear a costume and grab a Grab-and-Go Treat Bag. The Drive-Thru is a “free” community event open to the public but you must pre-register at JingYing.org. You can also check out Jing Ying Institute’s schedule of children’s and adults classes at Best Martial Arts Program in Annapolis, Severna Park (jingying.org)

SHOPTOBERFEST, the ultimate #SHOP LOCAL event

Looking for the ultimate #SHOPLOCAL opportunity? You’re in luck. The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber’s SHOPTOBERBEST is being held at Park Plaza on Saturday, October 23 from 11 am to 3 pm.

Chamber CEO Liz League tells us that 45 local businesses will be participating. For just a sampling, they range from The Cottage, Lisa’s Cakepops, and Bulldog Schwinn and Sports, to Side Street Framers & Gift Gallery, Park Books, Blended Essentials, JB’s, Park Tavern and so many others. Sponsors include Landmark Roofing, Kogen Do Jo and Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

SHOPTOBERFEST, with its Trick or Treat Twist, will provide the perfect opportunity to get acquainted or reacquainted with our local businesses. – a chance to shop till you drop. And it will be fun!

The FREE event will include trick or treating and a costume contest for kids as well as a costume contest for dogs. Can’t wait to see Rover or Fido decked out in the latest Halloween fashions. There will be music and entertainment and a photo booth. Best of all, you’ll be supporting community businesses. As Liz League likes to say, “Withoug community businesses, you don’t have a community.”

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

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

The afternoon sun filtering through the trees on the grounds surrounding Historic Baldwin Hall provided a lovely setting for the Severn Cross Roads Foundation’s Craft Fair and Flea Market. Held between 11 and 4 pm on Sunday, October 3, the event was the foundation’s first fundraiser since the beginning of the COVID pandemic – a benefit for Baldwin Hall.

The combination of sunny skies, mild temperatures and the determination to get out and do something interesting drew people to the Millersville landmark from all over the county. Held both inside the historic hall and along a winding path circling the the building, the craft fair and flea market was a fun experience on many levels.

Groups of friends already familiar with Baldwin Hall like Nina Parks, her son Logan, Judy Dewese, and Diane Taylor loved coming together at one of their favorite places to browse indoor and outdoor tables and booths for colorful crafts or flea market finds .

“We all live near BWI but we’re longtime fans of Baldwin Hall. Its a beautiful day so we decided to drive down,” Nina Park said. “It’s definitely great attending a live event.”

The group looked to be heading toward the Greek on the Street food truck when they spied a customer coming down the steps of the hall carrying what might have been an antique clock and changed course.

Other shoppers began their explorations at the start point of a circular pathway where they found Crownsville crafter Coleen “Tateen” Kane’s table. Known as Tateen’s Trinkets and things, her business is noted for its handmade jewelry including earrings, bracelets, necklaces and bejeweled ornaments.

“I’ve been a local craftswoman making gifts and jewelry for over 10 years now,” Kane said.

Customer Martha Preston, who has served on the board of Baldwin Hall, stopped by her table. A longtime fan of Kane’s work, she was delighted to see her friend’s newest designs.

Moving on, one couldn’t possibly miss The Big Purple Barn booth since it was bright “purple”. For people who love horses and assorted farm critters, visiting the Big Purple Barn booth was a must.

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The booth was manned by Amy Myer, Amber Austin and Austin’s daughter Amelia. Both Myer and Austin are volunteers for the Bowie-based non-profit farm. All of the handmade crafts being sold were created by Austin while nature inspired tumblers were by Myer. Profits from all sales were donated to the barn – a horse, pony and farm animal sanctuary that provides care to many special needs animals.

Myer handed out flyers about the organization.

“Like all non-profits, we were hard hit by the COVID pandemic so any sales or donations are appreciated,” she said. “Among other things, The Big Purple Barn uses its animals as outreach ambassadors to the community offering access to farm critters, an introduction to urban agriculture and environmental education. To further its access, The Big Purple Barn is hosting a Halloween Open House this Sunday, October 10th with trick or treating around the barnyard, a costume contest with prizes, arts and crafts for sale and a food truck. For information, directions and details, visit Home – The Big Purple Barn Horse Sanctuary Bowie, MD (thebigpurplebarnbowie.org) .

Exhibitors at the Fair were quite varied. One crafter, in particular, was making her debut. So new a business its owner didn’t yet have business cards or a website, it was Julie Golihew’s Cottage & Lace Crafts.

For a first-time effort, the Davidsonville resident’s autumn themed decorations and dried flower arrangements drew well.

In addition to being a great shopping opportunity for craft fair and flea market devotees, some attendees were visiting Historic Baldwin Hall for the first time and there was a lot to discover.

The Charles W. Baldwin Hall was built in 1861 as the Cross Roads Methodist Episcopal Church at the southwest corner of the Severn Cross Roads (where the Stone Church, or present Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church, was erected in 1895-96). The builder of the 1861 church was William Jones, a member of the congregation.  

The simple, elegant building was moved twice – first from its original site across Indian Landing Road in 1895 so the Stone Church could be built on property donated by the Morgan family and, again, on June 2, 1981, when trucked across Old General’s Highway to its present location.

It was not at all surprising to see visitors taking a leisurely stroll around the building to admire its charming architecture. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March, 1983, Baldwin Hall was described as a significant example of 19th century country church architecture. The molded battens, tiny arches, louvered vent, shutters, and tall arched side windows with clear glass on a rectangular block were characterized as creative and well executed embellishments of an earlier form.

Walking a bit further, visitors were able to see the 1840s School House reconstructed by the Severn Crossroads Foundation near its original location. The schoolhouse later served, from 1936 to 1970, as the community library.

Needless to say, many children were at the craft fair. It was fun observing them try to decide what to spend their money on.

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Friends and Baldwin Hall neighbors Ainsley Bachmann and Rachel Schwartz fancied some books and trinkets from the Baldwin UMC Parish Hall flea market tables manned by Laurie and Kim Parks. But, then again, the Greek on the Street Food Truck beckoned.

According to Greek on the Street’s Brian and Effie, who were taking a breather after a busy afternoon serving pita wraps and burrito bowls, they’d worked hard..

“We did really good today,” said Brian.

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Late in the afternoon, Historic Baldwin Hall building manager Annie Medford commented that adding a food truck and an ice cream truck to the fundraiser was “such a good idea”. She further noted that the day was turning out to be a great success. All the vendors (of which there were 16 inside and 17 outside) were happy.

There was still more to see, however. Self-described as the “Crazy Face Mask Lady,” Amy Burford was set up beneath a shady tree. Burford’s business, Mama Amy’s Creations, was marketing face masks and T-Shirts, many of which had a fall theme.

Next to Amy Burford’s booth was the GIbson Woodworking booth manned by Sharon Burford and Matt Gibson – first-time exhibitors at a Baldwin Hall event. Gibson’s finely crafted hope chests, tool chests, treasure boxes and patriotic wooden flags created a lot of interest.

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Spotted on the steps of Baldwin Hall toward the event’s 4 pm closing time, volunteers Carol Ann Trembley Gass, Patti Platt and Sally Burton said they were exhausted. According to Gass and Burton, who are Severn Cross Roads Foundation board members, if there is one thing they’d change in planning a similar event for next year, it would be to end at 3 pm instead of 4 pm.

“While people still arrived after 3:00, there weren’t enough to sustain and extra hour Gass said. “We’re exhausted. It’s taken us two hours to pack up inside, where many flea market tables were located, as well as outside.”

She was pleased, however, that sales were good through most of the day. All three women are involved with Baldwin Hall in multiple ways as they are also members of the Chesapeake Harmony Chorus which holds its weekly rehearsals and occasional performances there.

Platt is the team coordinator for Chesapeake Harmony Chorus and Burton is its musical director. Both were excited to announce that the chorus will be performing once again at the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce Taste & Sip event at Chartwell Golf and Country Club in November.

“We’re really looking forward to it as all of our 2020 performances were cancelled due to the pandemic,” Burton said. “We’ll be singing by the entrance of the Chartwell ballroom as the guests arrive. It will be festively decorated so we will love doing it.”

Return of Hospice of the Chesapeake Golf Tournament raises $200K

After being postponed last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Hospice of the Chesapeake’s September 30th Golf Tournament at Queenstown Harbor Golf Course roared back with phenomenal success.

Though a challenge, the 2021 Golf Tournament was the Hospice’s most successful ever netting $35,000 over the amount raised in 2019 for a total of more that $200,000.

The annual golf tournament is a top fundraiser for the non-profit providing financial support across Anne Arundel, Charles and Prince George’s counties for the programs and services it provides for those living with advanced illness.

Seen here with Jerray Slocum of Severn Bank, Hospice of the Chesapeake President and CEO Mike Brady noted that the success of the tournament was made possible by the generous support of a dozen sponsors like Severn Bank and Permits Plus, Inc. For more details and information check out Hospice of the Chesapeake’s informative website at Homepage | Hospice of the Chesapeake (hospicechesapeake.org) .

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

Long awaited, JB’s, Severna Park’s official opening got underway on September 11 with a crowd of excited customers getting their first glimpse of the attractive interior with its sleek bar, multiple booths and tables, red, multi-paned windows and the 44 television screens scattered throughout.

The celebration continued at 4 pm on September 16 as a ribbon cutting was presided over by Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce CEO Liz League and owner Don Kelly. As with any new restaurant, there were a few kinks to work out but the family friendly sports bar and grill at 566 Ritchie Highway in Park Plaza is already attracting a following – especially on game days.

JB’s will have to capitalize on its early momentum to gain a foothold and prosper in the greater Severna Park area’s highly competitive food landscape. The community already boasts nearly 50 eateries of one kind or another.

The opening was a long time coming – considerably longer than could possibly have been anticipated according to Greg Keating, managing partner of the 206 Restaurant Group which owns Park Tavern and several other restaurants.

“Immediately after the group acquired the former Bill Bateman’s Bistro in December of 2019, plans moved ahead for a complete renovation and transformation of the building into a family friendly restaurant. By early 2020, construction crews were at work gutting the interior and reconstructing the exterior.

Unfortunately, the work came to an abrupt halt following Governor Larry Hogan’s Stay at Home order of March 23rd, 2020. The site wasn’t touched for almost a year.

In addition to having to pause the renovation of JB’s, the 206 Restaurant Group temporarily closed two of its Baltimore restaurants to concentrate on keeping Park Tavern, The Ale House Columbia, Donnelly’s Dockside and its brewing company operating. They adapted as pandemic guidelines changed. All the while, plans and menus for JB’s Severna Park continued to be worked on and refined.

By April of 2021, most of the exterior renovations were completed with just a little interior work to complete. A projected opening was planned for the end of May.

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However, a decision was made to postpone the opening to September.

“We wanted to do it right. We’d had to reopen our Baltimore restaurants, the Pratt Street Ale House and Five and Dime Ale House”, said Keating. “We also needed to hire and train managers, bartenders and waitstaff for JB’s.”

For Keating, his partners and staff, September 11 was a red letter day. As they prepared to open the doors at 11 am, it was heartwarming to see the parking lot filling rapidly. Not only had locals been seeing the slogan “Bites, brews and ballgames…” on the marquis along the front of restaurant but they’d heard that the eatery was child friendly. Now they were eager to try it out.

Booths and tables quickly filled and it was noteworthy that many of those being seated were families with children just as Keating and partners had hoped.

“People have asked why we’d open another restaurant in Park Plaza when we already have Park Tavern and we’d be competing for business,” Keating said. “Actually, we designed the restaurants to have different characteristics that appeal to different clienteles.”

He described Park Tavern as a casual but sophisticated dining establishment suitable for a date night, business lunch or Saturday or Sunday brunch. JB’s, on the other hand, is more casual, lively and sports-oriented.

“We’re seeing diners we recognize from Park Tavern but in a different light. They’re dressed more comfortably for one thing. With 44 TV screens tuned to a variety of sporting events, JB’s is a great place for sports fans, especially on game days,” Keating said. “It’s also family friendly – a place you can bring your children after their games still wearing their cleats. We’re already seeing that. “

He added that JB’s is thankful to be seeing so much community support. The staff was particularly pleased to see folks coming in late one evening following the recent Severna Park High School football game.

League, on arriving for the ribbon cutting on the 16th, said she found the sports bar “amazing, such a contrast to the old Bill Bateman’s it’s replaced”. She really liked the brightly lit, attractive interior with its booths and dazzling array of TV screens.

Diner Mike Milord visited JB’s for the first time on September 19 and also liked what he saw.

“A full house at JBs today. Must have been some empty seats at other venues around the Park,” Milord said. “Wings and loaded fries seem to be really popular here and, according to the menu, pizzas are coming soon.”

Indeed, the menu is straightforward, kid-friendly pub fare with starters like Garlic Knots, Loaded Fries, Just Because Nachos and 10 different styles of Wings. The dinner menu features about a dozen popular favorites. There is a wide range of beers with some specially priced at $2 for game days.

For information on JB’s, its hours, menus and a running schedule of televised games visit JB’s, Severna Park | Facebook.

A Flea Market and Craft Fair this Sunday at historic Baldwin Hall

The Severn Crossroads Foundation is hosting a special event at Historic Baldwin Hall this Sunday, October 3, – a Flea Market & Craft Show with Food Trucks. It’s a fundraiser for Baldwin Hall that will take place within the historic building and across the grounds with Crafter’s and Flea Market Tables. Greek on the Street will be on hand to feed attendees as well as an ice cream truck.

Historic Baldwin Hall is located at 1358 Millersville Road in Millersville. The event will begin at 11 am and run through 4 pm. For more information, visit Home | baldwinhall .

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Today, Clint Jones is a busy chef operating his highly successful business Sizzle Shack from a commercial kitchen and up-to-his elbows making his famous crab cakes – often with help from son Parker.

Life was rosy for the Shipley’s Choice resident, wife Liz and sons Parker, Campbell and Brody until March of 2020 when “everything shut down” at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

“I was in the trade show business and that business completely shut down 100 percent.,” Jones said. “We went from a very large company to next to nothing in two or three days and they furloughed about 8,000 people from the company. I was one of them. Liz and I sat right here on our porch the night it happened and talked about what we were going to do. For some time, we’ve had a small seasonal business called Beach Tables but not one that would support a family of five.

“We didn’t really start Sizzle Shack on purpose, but I’d always cooked and hosted tailgates and parties for large crowds and some of my friends urged me to make a few of my crab cakes,” he said.

They loved his food and thought he should start cooking for people. Thinking it would be fun, Clint followed their advice, made some crab cakes and opened an order form for what would become his signature Sizzle Shack dish on April 15th of 2020.

“That very first night we were very busy, with good response from our friends and Shipley’s Choice neighbors,” he said. “So the next week we did it again and orders started to grow. Almost immediately, we had to start treating it like a small business”.

Sizzle Shack’s signature drink – fresh squeezed Orange Crushes that customers could add alcohol to, or not, as they pleased was also an immediate hit.

It didn’t take long for Clint and Liz to realize they were filling a need. With schools closed and businesses shut down, people in Shipley’s Choice (and across the greater Severna Park area) were working remotely and remaining at home.

“Everyone was here. Cars rarely went up or down the streets.” Clint said. “There weren’t even planes flying overhead. People couldn’t go out to dinner and were ordering their groceries online. It was quiet.”

As much as people enjoyed Clint’s food, the couple’s fledgling business became something of a rallying point for their Shipley’s Choice neighbors stuck at home. They’d order something from Sizzle Shack, take a picture of it and share it on their Facebook or Instagram pages.

It became a competition. There’d be 40 or 50 people posting how they’d served their crab cakes or what they served them with. They’d cook them differently, put them in air fryers or grill them. Or they’d make them into sandwiches paired with Bloody Mary’s.

Primarily through word of mouth, the business took off. The couple expanded their menu to include a choice of two meals built around Clint’s much loved tailgate food. The first was a Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Crab Dip and Orange Crush option. The second option featured a Family Meal For Four that differed each week. There was lasagna, salad and bread, chicken parm, salad and bread, or pulled pork, mac and cheese and coleslaw.

Almost overnight, the Jones’ new business was outgrowing their Shipley’s Choice home. They had five refrigerators going at one time with two of them in the garage. The entire Jones family helped out including sons Parker, 19, Campbell , 11, and Brody, 9.

Sizzle Shack’s growth was a bit limited by the number of high school or college kids they could employ as drivers. (They were delivering to Severna Park, Millersville, Pasadena, Arnold, Odenton and Gambrills.) Nevertheless, with orders steadily growing , it became necessary to acquire a commercial kitchen space. They found one in Gambrills at the Gambrill’s Athletic Club.

“Thinking back, we were among the very first ones to deliver ready made meals for people that they could put in the oven and warm up when they’re ready for it,” Clint said. “Having wondered if it would work, we were not only well received but were truly becoming a part of the community instead of just living here. The community gave great support. We, in turn, are supporting our local businesses, schools, programs and charities through fundraising.”

Asked if he’d consider expanding Sizzle Shack to an actual retail space or restaurant, Clint said he likes the business as it is. Restaurants are always a risk, especially now with it hard to hire wait staff and the owners having to do all the jobs.

Both he and Liz are busy with corporate jobs (he’s back consulting for the trade show business). They also operate Beach Tables which their younger sons like to help with. They craft three different designs of tables made to fit around a beach umbrella. They find they’re able to handle the work and still have family time and prefer to keep it that way.

“We like where we are,” Clint said. “With Sizzle Shack, we have something that’s a little different. We fill a niche. We have good branding and good name recognition. It’s great for us.”

He admits there are challenges. Right now, the price of crab meat is extremely high and in short supply. Some restaurants have taken crab cakes off the menu. But Sizzle Shack continues featuring them and luckily offers other great dishes like Buffalo Chicken and Ham and Cheese Sliders topped with their famous slider sauce.

For information or to order from Sizzle Shack you can visit Facebook: @cjsizzleshack and Instagram: @thesizzleshack For Menu & More Info, visit www.thesizzleshack.com.

You can check out Beach Tables on Facebook: @beachtableInstagram or at www.BeachTables.com.

Started during the Pandemic, j.lolly is thriving with popular tablescapes

Partly in response to the pandemic, friends Tammi Molavi and Michelle Hickman started an online business called j.lolly last fall.  They create beautiful table settings for at-home entertaining that customers can “rent”. j.lolly offers complete tablescapes for gatherings of from two to 24 diners and guarantees delivery and pick-up.

Having featured j.lolly last November, we caught up with them again. They report that the business has done well.

“Renting a table setting from us was a good way for people to dress up a special occasion without having to go out and shop for or make an investment in dinnerware, glassware or other items themselves,” Molavi said. “We delivered everything they needed and they appreciated it.”

Molavi (a Shipley’s Choice resident) and Hickman were among the first to discover Sizzle Shack. They’ve teamed with them from time to time supplying the dinnerware while Sizzle Shack supplies the food. j.lolly also teams with other local businesses like April’s Table.

With the pandemic on the wane, Hickman and Molavi are reevaluating what they’ll be doing as they go forward. They’ve had such a good response to their table designs that people are now requesting styling services. That’s something the partners fall naturally into. They no longer want to limit themselves only to rentable tablescapes. Moving beyond their original plan, they’ve supplied table settings for a wedding and are picking up more wedding clients.

Like Sizzle Shack, j.lolly offers a unique service and fills a niche. To find out more about them, visit them on Facebook at j.lolly | Facebook and on Instagram at j.lolly (@setbyjlolly) • Instagram photos and videos .

Also born during the pandemic, Atalie Day Photography experienced steady growth

Nearly a year into the pandemic, Atalie Day Payne launched Atalie Day Photography in October of 2020. We featured her then and have followed her progress. Formerly a photographer and columnist for The Capital and Maryland Gazette newspapers, she retired in 2019 when son Jasper was born. She’d long wanted to start a business of her own. Though uncertain whether to proceed at such a precarious time, she moved ahead.

After learning portraiture processes from a photographer she admired, Payne attracted her first clients, shooting engagement, maternity and wedding photos in natural outdoor settings. She then came up with an idea to host mini-Christmas photo sessions in November and early December of 2020. She posed families out of doors at a farm on a velvet couch with holiday decorations in the background.

They were so successful she was able to make a $300 contribution from the proceeds to a charity, The Musical Autist, which presents concerts for individuals dealing with autism. The sessions helped spread the word about Atalie Day Photography attracting new clients. By spring, the blossoming portraitist was able to open a small studio.

Paynesaid she’s had a few ups and downs but things have generally gone well. Lately, she’s done quite a few shoots involving horses and their owners – a subject she’s naturally drawn to as she grew up around horses.

“It’s challenging, as horses are gigantic creatures with minds of their own, but I really love doing it,” she said.

Payne is forever scouting scenic locations as backgrounds for various types of shoots. However, she’s already made plans for another series of holiday mini-sessions and is pleased to announce she’s found a great place to do them.

She’s partnering with a business acquaintance who owns a small chicken farm with a section of evergreens on the property that will be perfect.

Best of all, her father is building her a seven foot hexagonal frame that will make a wonderful holiday backdrop when decorated with evergreens.

Payne is already receiving inquiries about the mini-Holiday photo sessions and will be posting the dates at https://www.facebook./atcomaliedayphoto or on the Atalie Day Photography website at Portrait and Wedding Photographer – Annapolis, Maryland (atalieday.com).

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

These late summer days are busy as ever for Diehl’s Produce at the corner of B&A Boulevard and McKinsey Road in Severna Park with customers streaming in and out all day long. But then, the stand has been just as busy every summer since founded by Doug Diehl five decades ago.

For more than 40 years, Diehl was the face of the produce business while his partner, Elliott Anderkin, Sr. was the supply end manager. However, he always encouraged his family to be involved. Daughter Jennifer Diehl remembers helping out at the stand as a child along with her sister Abby and learning everything there was to know about produce and running a business. Later, Jennifer’s daughters Maddy and Ella grew up working at the stand as did Anderkin’s son, Elliott, Jr.

By the stand’s 40th Anniversary in 2011, the “family feel” was in full flower as the Diehls’ welcoming embrace included the many students who worked at the stand each summer to earn money for college.

Today, as Doug had hoped, his daughter Jennifer has taken over as the face of the business along with her daughter Maddy. Abby has carried on the family legacy by opening her own Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis. Diehl and Anderkin are still at the Severna Park stand daily but are usually running the back end of the business unseen by the public.

With summer employees back in school, Jennifer and Maddy are spending so much time running the stand they’ve barely had time to consider the fact that their business is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Jennifer vividly remembers when and how her father started the business, however.

Though briefly a teacher, Doug Diehl followed his heart and left the profession in 1970 to explore other ventures. That summer, he sold snow cones from a truck in Severna Park and was so successful he turned to selling candy apples in the fall.

“In quest of really good fruit, I hooked up with an orchard in Thurmont and made a deal to purchase some remarkably delicious but mid-sized apples cheap. Then I candied them myself,” Diehl said. “But the apples were so delicious on their own that my friends started bugging me to supply them.”

Thus encouraged, he made twice weekly trips to the orchard in his van and selected seasonal varieties of apples like Stayman Winesaps or Red Delicious to sell door-to-door to individuals and businesses. He recalls walking into The Department of Motor Vehicles in Glen Burnie and selling large quantities of apples to the secretaries and administrative personnel.

By offering them at a low price, he built a great customer base that season, but it was tough going door-to-door.

The following summer, Diehl sold Eastern Shore sweet corn, tomatoes and peaches from a truck beneath a tree on Ritchie Highway. Mornings he’d pick corn, sell out by day’s end and earn a tidy profit. The next morning, he’d begin the 5-hour round-trip to the Eastern Shore and back all over again.

The fledgling business got a significant boost in 1971 when Diehl arranged with owner Cliff Dawson to set up on the parking lot behind Dawson’s Country Store along McKinsey Road.

“I set up by myself under a 100-year-old white oak that provided shade,” he said. “Cliff, who was the salt of the earth, allowed me to stay there for six years rent free and told me I could stay as long as people said good things about me.”

Obviously, people were complimentary. The stand is still at the same spot today despite a few ups and downs.

Jennifer recalled when the oak was struck by lightning. According to Doug, only a moment earlier, he had closed the stand , hopped in his truck and was waiting at the traffic light at B&A Boulevard when the strike exploded behind him.

“When we sold our produce from the truck, which was shaded by the tree, we’d had a small makeshift tent or two to protect it,” Jennifer said. “Several attempts were made to patch up and save the white oak but it was dying so they eventually cut it down in 1985. That was when my dad came up with the red and white tents because there was no longer any shade to protect the fruits and vegetables.”

Abby recalled how her father cleverly arranged the four tents in a square pattern and linked them together for maximum stability.

Interestingly, a few years later, a second white oak near the bank building behind the stand was hit by high winds during a storm a few years bringing a branch down on one of the tents that Doug happened to be working under. Knocked down and in the dark, he heard his employees yelling “Doug, Doug are you all right?” before crawling out and affirming that he was okay.

The only other substantial problem encountered by Diehl’s Produce has been the COVID pandemic. But, with their usual professionalism, the business found ways to serve customers safely. At the same time, they started a program Rounding Off customer sales slips and using the extra change to fund gift cards enabling clients of SPAN, Inc.’s food pantry to purchase produce from the stand.

Every day this summer, surrounded by fresh vegetables and fruits every color of the rainbow, Jennifer or Maddy, or both, have been on hand running the stand. Filling in where necessary, as most of the summer workers are now in school , they’re putting in some long days.

“It’s a banner year for us celebrating our 50th Anniversary, it’s absolutely exciting,” Jennifer said. “We’ve been so busy but we’ll be organizing a guest book for our customers to sign. Some of them have been customers for, literally, the whole time. A few still come in with their 30th Anniversary tote bags. We hope have some tote bags too.”

Jennifer added that she’s personally pleased that many of the customers have watched her daughters grow up working in the business.

“Maddy was here when she was eight years old and Ella, who’s here off and on while doing other things, was my cashier in the fall when she was 11,” she said. “Being here is such a family tradition. We all learned all those common sense seasonal produce things we take for granted but have to school new employees on.”

Diehl’s Produce is proud of maintaining its standards of quality all these years. Between them, Doug Diehl and Elliott Anderkin, Sr. have upheld their policy of picking up produce from farms daily and trucking it back to Severna Park….. with help from Nick Wright who is now their main driver. Transitions continue with Jennifer now helping with the ordering but Doug and Elliott continue managing the supply end and deal with the farmers.

Diehl’s Produce opens each year in April and remains open through Halloween in October; then closes briefly and reopens on Black Friday to sell Christmas trees. They daily bring in corn from the Eastern Shore through July or from Carroll County after August 1. Vegetables come from both the Eastern Shore and Carroll County. Their much sought after peaches, apples and orchard fruits come from Adams County, Pennsylvania.

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Moving on into autumn Diehl’s Produce will have their normal selection of pumpkins to choose from.

Meantime, just miles away, Abby’s Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis is in full swing at 921 Chesapeake Avenue in the Eastport Shopping Center.

Independent by nature, Abby opened Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis in 2012, first on Chinquapin Round Road and then in Eastport. Wanting to carry on the family brand, she retained the Diehl name. She is quick to point out that she owes much of her success to her father.

“My father is the smartest man I know and he taught me everything I know,” she said. “Everything I do in my business is based on what I learned from him. I even copied his four-tent-square design, tying my stands together for stability like he did.”

Doug is supportive of his daughter.

“Abby wanted to stand on her own two feet and that was fine. I admire her independence, ambition and confidence,” he said.

The residents of Eastport most definitely enjoy having Abby’s stand in the community with its fresh-from-the-field fruits and vegetables. At the end of every summer, customers are overheard saying how much they will miss the business during the winter months.

Having heard positive feedback for years from her customers, Abby is looking into buying an indoor/outdoor property from which she can also sell other products – particularly the homemade yogurts and fresh fruit smoothies she favors. She thinks both products would be good sellers.

Depending on the season, both produce stands post on Facebook what’s fresh. You can follow Diehl’s Produce in Severna Park at Diehl’s Produce | Facebook or Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis at Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis | Facebook.

Two concerts remain in the 2021 Summer Concert Series at Hatton Regester Green

Diane Evans, Vice President of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails shared the news that there are two more concerts to be held in the lovely pavilion at Severna Park’s Hatton Regester Green off Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard.

The first is to be held this coming Sunday, September 19th, features a group called Guava Jelly. Guava Jelly is a Carrbean-infused acoustic duo/trio that plays a great mix of reggae, pop, rock and country music. The concert begins at 4 pm and lasts for two hours. Feel free to bring a blanket or chairs though there are a limited number of benches.

The final concert of the season, to be held September 26, features Bowers and Stramella, an acoustic duo that plays guitar, bass, lap steel guitar ukulele and harmonica. The play a blend of classics, folk, county and soft rock from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Their concert also begins at 4 pm and lasts for two hours.

For more information, contact David Greene at 443-994-8074.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

Cypress Creek, one of Severna Park’s oldest neighborhoods, has a richly layered past. It was settled in the 1600’s, like other parts of Anne Arundel County, but an actual community didn’t really take shape until the early 20th century. Taking its name from a tidal branch of the Magothy River 4-1/2 miles above the Chesapeake Bay, the community is now a mixture of early 20th century architecture, quirky mid-century to 1970’s styles and updated designs built on the footprints of former summer cottages. A cluster of new housing developments near Ritchie Highway completes the picture.

A constant name in property records and colorful neighborhood stories through all of this is that of the Dill family. The family farmhouse (pictured above) contributes greatly to the community’s character.

Lifelong resident Erman O. “Lanny” Dill’s grandfather, Edward O. Dill, cruised to Cypress Creek from Baltimore on his boat in 1915. He discovered the 100-year-old farmhouse on 16 acres which he purchased from Thomas A. Brown, (son of Thomas H. Brown). He was later responsible, with brother, Erman, for building Dill Road.

Succesive generations of the family occupied the farmhouse including Edward’s son, Erman O. Dill, Sr. and wife Anna. Grandaughter, Susan Dill, lives there now with husband Tony McConkey and children George and Edna.

But the story of the Cypress Creek community actually begins in 1896 when Thomas H. Brown sold a tract of 122 acres of land along Cypress Creek Road, including burial grounds, to William T. Hayes. The burial grounds, at the corner of Cypress Creek and Dill Roads, hold 17 graves, many unmarked and speculated to be those of slaves.

Ten years later, on October 18, 1906, Hayes transferred the property, known as Rockhold’s Addition, to the Severn Realty Company. Development of Cypress Creek began with subdivision of the tract into 13 sections. On section, which included Rice’s Wharf, was divided into lots and placed on the market. The properties were primarily sold to summer vacationers and scattered along the banks of the creek.

In those cottages and homes lived South Baltimore residents summering away from the heat of the city and eventually included an opera star, workmen, and a judge.

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Only a couple of the original vacation cottages still exist along the banks of the creek but one, located near the end of Cypress Creek Road, is a good example. It’s small but has a screened summer porch to one side.

As the 1920’s roared in, the warm days of July and August were spent enjoying the creek’s clear waters and socializing.

“Cypress Creek was a party town like Round Bay and people liked to hoist a few,” said Lanny Dill. “During Prohibition, the community had its own bootlegger and there was a speakeasy down on one bank of the creek.”

From 1924 to 1926 the residents staged carnivals, using their profits to fund community improvements. Their success led to the establishment of the Cypress Improvement Association on March 20, 1926. Today, the CIA – as some wryly refer to it – oversees community development, joins with other organizations to protect estuaries and hosts a website at Cypress Improvement Association (google.com) .

Early on, much of Cypress Creek was still farmland. The Tecl farm, located where St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church now stands, sold fresh produce. Chicken and eggs were available at neighboring Wolfe’s farm. The seafood-rich waters yielded fish and crabs. A store on Creek Road, owned by Jeremiah Keefe, sold canned goods, beer, bait and gasoline to fishermen and locals.

The late Jean Friday, a lifelong resident and former CIA president lived in the house her family purchased in 1937. It was a spacious dwelling and they sometimes rented rooms and also sold meals. The residence has since been home to a couple different families.

Friday recalled that niceties such as trash removal were late coming to Cypress Creek. Neighbors gathered on weekends in a field of daisies along Amoss Road to bury their trash and socialize while their children played nearby.

CIA board member Ed Krause tied expansion of the community to the installation of water and sewage lines in the 1970’s. Longmeadow North, Cypress Gardens, Lochwood and Ross Landing were developed then. Simultaneously, properties that once served as vacation retreats were rebuilt to accommodate year-round living. Krause’s own home sits on property purchased in 1907 by his uncle, Victor Krause.

Some architecturally unique homes were built on the footprint of relatively small lots including the modernistic home seen here that is situated at the end of Creek Road.

Particularly, intriguing is a house on the banks of the creek itself. Built in 1912 and classified in the 1920’s as an “estate”, the elegant home provided magnificent views of the creek and Magothy River.

A retired opera singer, known to her neighbors as Mrs. Theis, lived in there in the 1930’s and later rented rooms to road construction workers. In the evenings, it is said, she gathered the men round and sang to them.

From the mid 1940’s to 1965, the home was called “Treehaven” and was the summer residence of Annapolis Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Michaelson and Naomi Dill Michaelson. From then through the end of the 20th century, ownership changed hands several times. In recent years, the property was sold again and, though the house still stands, the land around it was divided into building lots for two additional homes.

Burgeoning development has changed the character of Cypress Creek but traces of its past are still evident. The beauty of the many old homes contrasts with imaginative renovations and the Brady Bunch feel of the few remaining 70’s era homes.

Much admired in the community for its quaint charm and beautiful gardens is the home of Cindy and Jack Metzger at the corner of Cypress Creek Road and Creek Street. Like many owners of older homes, they made many improvements over the years.

Even the most recent developments of Dunkeld Manor, Trinity Farms, Cypress Point and Cypress Glen are acquiring a lived-in look and may, in time contribute their own chapter to the rich history of Cypress Creek.

Severna Park High graduate and former Cypress Creek resident lost in helicopter accident

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, 31, a former Cypress Creek resident and Severna Park High graduate, perished in a mishap aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on August 31. According to the U.S. Navy, the MH-60S she was aboard, part of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron-8, crashed on the deck of the carrier and fell into the Pacific 60 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. She was one of five crew members to die in the crash. One sailor aboard the helicopter survived.

Burns enlisted in the Navy in 2010 and joined the squadron in 2020. An investigation of the mishap is underway the service says.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Looking out executive director Sarah Elder’s office window at the Severna Park Community Center, you can see one of two recently installed signs heralding the new name of the building known for more than a decade as Holy Grounds Youth Center. Though owned by Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, the building is maintained and operated by the community center.

Its new name, Boone Station Hall, was selected because the building sits directly across from Boone Railroad Station – a three sided shack that served as the original station for the Baltimore Annapolis Short Line Railroad. Boone was the original name of the community that later became Severna Park.

Constructed in 1927 as St. John the Evangelist Church, the lovely building, with its simple, graceful lines, served the congregation until 1959 when they acquired acreage on the corner of Ritchie Highway and Cypress Creek Road for the present-day St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, School and Rectory.

Recent research by Woods Church member Bob Royer indicates that the structure may have been built from a ready-to-assemble kit from Sears, Roebuck & Company after transported to Boone Station by train.

Elder said the community center board had long thought of changing the name because the building is rented for various functions ranging from weddings, baby showers, reunions and celebrations of life to trade shows or concerts. The Holy Grounds Youth Center designation (chosen when the facility was run as a coffee house for teens) was confusing because of its religious connotation.

“We’d always have to explain it was no longer used as church (except on rare occasions) but as a hall – albeit it one with a charming history and a charming ambiance – that can be used for most every occasion,” Elder said.

She noted that Boone Station Hall was one of three names considered. The other two – Randall Hall and Riggs Hall – also carried a historical context.

Boone’s origins date to the 1600’s with a 26,000 acre land grant from King Charles I to George Calvert, 1st Lord of Baltimore. By the 1700’s, the Lords Baltimore conveyed the acreage in the form of three grants, Norman’s Fancy, Randall’s Purchase and Hopkins Addition, that would form the nucleus of Boone. The Randall’s Purchase portion changed hands several times, eventually ending up as the property of George Linstid. At his death, the property was divided with one third of the acreage inherited by Elizabeth Linstid Boone, wife of Thomas Boone who sold a strip of land for the Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line Railroad in 1896. It wasn’t until 1906 that Boone Railroad Station was built. Also, in 1906 the third 91.5 acre plot that was part of Randall’s Purchase was sold to politically influential brothers Frank and Henry Riggs including the original brick farmhouse that still exists as a residence.

The same year, attorney Oscar Hatton purchased and developed the land that would become Severna Park as a vacation community near the beach and created The Severna Company to manage it. The neighborhood remained Boone, however, until the U.S. Post Office officially change its name to Severna Park in 1925. Two years later, St. John the Evangelist Church was built with no inkling that it would undergo two transformations.

An official relaunch of the building as Boone Station Hall in the form of a late day reception and ribbon cutting will take place in November. Meantime, Elder reports that her staff is already seeing an increase in inquiries about renting the space. For information about Boone Station Hall, visit SPCC Home (spcommunitycenter.org).

Little did Sarah Elder realize that, 15 minutes earlier, a committee from Woods Church had been on the grounds of Boone Station Hall mapping out locations for booths and activities for their September 12th Kick-Off Sunday Picnic.

Woods Church’s annual Kick-Off Sunday Picnic to be held September 12

Making a comeback after being canceled last year due to the pandemic, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church’s annual Kick-Off Sunday Picnic will be held outdoors following worship services on Sunday, September 12 from noon to 2 pm. As always, the community is invited. According to Kick-Off committee members Liz Pringle, Nancy Goetschius and John McLaughlin, the theme for this year’s Kick-Off, is “A Closer Walk” and many wonderful activities are planned to take place across the entire Woods campus.

Though McLaughlin would be responsible for setting up everything on Kick-Off Sunday, he left it to Pringle and Goetschius to determine where each activity would take place. Armed with a folder of plans for the event and a small map, the women were going over the layout beginning with the church lawn where tables for various ministries would be set up.

They tried to visualize where the Welcome Ministry table had been set up in 2019 when manned by Karen Strange, Nancy Noland and Maribelle Carter or the table where Dixie Smith, Cathy Officer and Sharon West from the Prayer Shawl Ministry sat knitting. Like then, the idea is to emphasize the importance of each ministry or activity while making all parts of the event fun.

To that end, a dunk tank and moon bounce will be installed in a yet-to-be-determined location and there will be games children and adults can participate in together. Little kids can paint rocks for the Ebenezer Stone Garden or can play a “Find The Chipmunk” game locating faux chipmunks hidden along one of the pathways.

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However, there’s so much more to do.

“Our primary idea for “A Closer Walk” is to better acquaint our church members, friends and neighbors with the wooded areas and gardens surrounding Woods,” Pringle said. “We’re inviting attendees to join us for what we’re calling ‘Woods Walks’ with two pathways to follow – a Spiritual Walk and an Environmental Walk.”

Pamphlets like the one to the right will be given out that contain a map with points of interest clearly marked and information about each site along the pathways.

The Spiritual Pathway will highlight the facade of the church and landmark objects like the church bell cracked by lightning in 1987 that now rests beneath a pergola and the Centennial Cross decorated by children and erected during Woods’ 100th Anniversary in 2011. There are meditation and bible gardens, Lilypad Cymbals, a Labyrinth designed by the late Elizabeth Wyble to mirror one at Chartres Cathedral in France, and Ellie’s Moonflower Garden donated by Matt and Ashleigh Wyble in memory of their daughter Ellie.

The Environmental Walk will highlight much of the environmental work done by Woods Church members who believe in being good stewards of the land. (They’ve won several awards for their projects.) The walk will wind through areas of native flowers along a recently planted embankment……..

………and through the Woods Gardners’ much praised Parking Lot Gardens where native sun loving plants do well and can also absorb runoff from storms.

Walkers will then pass gardens around the sidewalks where flowers like Black Eyed Susans thrive……….

……..and on to the edge of “the Woods at Woods”. Each plant will have a marker identifying it so people can figure out the names of plants or flowers and observe the conditions where they are growing.

Since food is a very important part of the Kick-Off Sunday Picnic, Pringle and Goetschius next crossed to the lawn of Boone Hall Station where a buffet will be laid out near the picnic tables. In addition to the buffet, there will be room for chairs in front of the portico (pictured below behind the women) where there will be live music. The group Chozen from Wayman Good Hope AME Church will perform gospel music from their new CD.

“Unlike other years, the hot dogs, chips, and salads served will be prepackaged in accordance COVID recommendations.,” Pringle said.

The pair are looking forward to resuming the annual picnic and hope past attendees will invite new friends and neighbors. For more information visit Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org)

Sunset Restaurant Back Bar now open

Following up on a tip from reader Mike Milord, we have news to share about the Sunset Restaurant at 625 Greenway Road in Glen Burnie which was forced to close because of the pandemic related shutdowns. The Sunset Restaurant Back Bar is now open with packaged goods and drinks available as well as some food.  They will remain open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 am to 9 pm through the end of the year although the restaurant is for sale. I was told they may even open a small dining room to handle some of the food service though the food is also available for carry out. Milord said he’ll immediately be calling to see if they are serving some of the menu items that made the restaurant a local favorite.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

The collaboration of Wayman Good Hope AME Church’s Chozen Music Ministry with Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church for a concert featuring four well-known gospel groups made for a musically spiritual occasion on Saturday, August 21.

Organized by Chozen members Larry Coates, Gerard Coates, Dana Anderson, and Lewis “Moone” Day, the concert was meaningful on many levels. It was simultaneously a celebration of the gospel group’s 10th Anniversary, the release of its new CD “A Family That Prays”, and an opportunity to highlight the talents of other gospel performers.

The concert was also a tribute to original Chozen member and drummer Christoper “Jay” Johnson, Larry Coates’ grandson, who died in 2019.

Gerard Coates also wanted the occasion to be a salute by he and brother Dana Anderson to their father Larry who envisioned and was the inspiration for Chozen. He wanted his father to know how much he is loved and appreciated for the legacy of family and prayer that he passed on.

The atmosphere was festive as concertgoers began arriving well before the performances began in the spacious sanctuary at Woods Church. A line of colorful vendors’ tents dotted the lawn in front of the church along with a food truck.

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The tents were colorful and offered shade for several independent retailers including The Oil Mill, Dee Dee’s Pop Up Boutique and Jewelry Designs By Helen. Many concert attendees were from Baltimore, some of whom had ties to Wayman Good Hope AME and others who were gospel fans. Most arrived early with plenty of time to check out the tents.

Inside there was a buzz of activity as ticket tables were set up and manned, a charity was set up in the vestibule, and guest performers – The Mighty Christianairs, The Faithful Boyz, and The New Ebony Gospel Singers – arrived and were welcomed by Chozen Music Ministry volunteers.

Things were jumping as the doors to the sanctuary opened and audience members began to claim their seats. Luckily, there was just enough time for an impromptu meeting between Chozen group members, Woods’ Associate Pastor Rev. Nancy Lincoln Reynolds, who would offer the tribute to Christopher Johnson, and her son Andrew Lincoln who would perform an opening song and another following the tribute.

Gerard Coates explained that Rev. Reynolds, who’d conducted the celebration of life when Christopher Johnson passed away, would deliver the tribute to him before Chozen began their performance.

Reynolds added that Wayman Good Hope AME and Woods Presbyterian have a long-standing relationship , occasionally sharing or supporting each other’s programs. Woods, in fact, provides the room in which Chozen holds its weekly practices. She said Wayman Good Hope’s new minister, Pastor Joseph Brown, hopes to partner with Woods even more in the future. Chozen will be performing at Woods’ annual Kick-Off picnic on September 12 – an event to which the entire community is invited.

At 4:30 pm, the concert began with a strong opening song by Andrew Lincoln. He was followed by The Faithful Boyz from Salisbury, Maryland whose rhythmic harmonies soon had part of the audience on their feet swaying to the music.

Next to perform were The New Ebony Singers of Baltimore. The production was running a bit behind schedule but by the time the Baltimore-based Mighty Christianairs stepped into the spotlight, Chozen members and back-up musicians – James Crowne (guitar), Horace Martin (bass) Ryan Johnson (guitar), Brian Terrell (keyboards) and Michael Wallace (drums) – were getting changed and warming up.

Two very young family members were getting dressed for the performance as well. Geanni Coates and little brother D’marhi emerged looking spiffy in their tuxedos and were fondly embraced by their proud grandfather Larry. He knew both boys were eagerly looking forward to taking their place with the group. 

The magic moment for Chozen’s appearance was rapidly approaching and emotions were already running high.

Gerard Coates took a moment to reflect on the history of the group.

“We came together officially ten years ago,” he said. “We’d all sung with Wayman Good Hope AME. We happened to be together at a program in South County and we ended up singing together. We decided that day that, since we always sang with each other for different groups we belonged to, that we’d come together permanently. We sang for years without musicians behind us, practicing our vocals right here at a rehearsal space provided by Woods. They’ve always had our backs.”

Larry added that, since Chozen was formed, they’ve done lots of community outreach and participated in charity projects for their church including school back-pack drives food baskets for needy families and Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Finally, the moment arrived. They were called forward from the back of the sanctuary one-by-one and took their places front and center. They were joined by Rev. Nancy Lincoln Reynolds who delivered her touching tribute to the late Christopher Jay Johnson. Her words were followed by an equally touching and powerful hymn, “Give Me Jesus”, that was beautifully sung by Andrew Lincoln.

Finally, it was time to step into the limelight which Chozen did with style, singing numbers from their newly released CD “A Family That Prays”. They started on a serious note with the gospel song “Make Everything Alright, slid into “Don’t Pass Me By” and changed pace for up-tempo numbers “Magnified Praise” and “Give God The Glory”. They finished with “Stand By Me” and a final tribute honoring Christopher Johnson. The concert embodied the group’s dedication to family with much love, a few tears, and lots of comforting hugs.

The entire concert was recorded live and Larry Coates reports that they’re already listening back and are pleased. He believes they have the makings of another CD and will keep us posted.

A SHOUT-OUT TO GOOD NEIGHBORS GROUP AND PARK BOOKS AND LITERACY LAB

Always interested in helping those most vulnerable in our community, Severna Park’s Good Neighbors Group and Park Books And Literacy Lab partnered with Maryland Reentry Resource Center to provide school supplies for 200 children. GNG thanked each of the 70 families who made the drive a success and, judging from their music video heralding their success, Park Books was also very pleased that the community came through.

Another quick reminder that Good Neighbors Group is promoting a blood drive in memory of Dr. Ken Hoffman on Wednesday, September 1 from 8 am till 2 pm in front of Garry’s Grill at Severna Park Village.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

It takes a lot of picking by farmer Bob Chase and his helpers to fill the baskets of sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, potatoes, yellow squash, eggplants. melons and tomatoes he and wife Marge sell at Chase’s Produce at 2857 Davidsonville Road (Rt. 424).

The Chases are used to hard work. The family has been selling produce along Route 424 every summer for 60 years. Their farm fields stretch along both sides of the roadway.

“We used to sell from around the corner on the opposite side of 424. When the state made the road four lanes coming off Route 50, it got dangerous to sell from there. But we’d bought the farm behind me in 1989 so we relocated the stand to this spot,” Bob Chase said. “It’s near the back of the farm and was the only place that didn’t have a guardrail or ditch around it so it seemed a good location.”

Drivers can easily spot the stand as there are signs that can be seen from both the northbound and southbound lanes. A lot of the acreage is planted in corn – a combination of sweet corn and field corn that’s used as feed for livestock and to make products ranging from corn flakes and corn syrup to corn meal among other things.

The farm’s last planting of sweet corn is currently knee high and will be ready for picking in October. Plantings of broccoli will be ready then too. (Chase said customer demand drops off after Labor Day so the hours the stand is open will be scaled back from daily to Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Overlapping plantings are, admittedly, tricky to schedule. In fact, the stand is temporarily out of cucumbers because the new crop isn’t quite ready.

In years past, Chase’s Produce sold products from local farmers but no longer do as many of those farms are gone. However, they do bring in large, juicy peaches from Delaware that their customers love as well as apples from the same source.

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The Chases have several teenagers helping them run the stand. All wear T-shirts with the cute Chase’s Produce logo on the back. The T-shirts are popular with customers, some of whom buy extras to give as Christmas gifts, so the farm stand stocks plenty.

“We never had any children so we mostly hire the children of our clients,” Chase said. “We’ve probably had over 100 kids work for us over the years. Most stay with us long term, starting out while in high school and carrying on through college. Several have become lawyers, a couple are commercial airline pilots, others are pharmacists or a variety of other occupations. Even those who’ve moved away sometimes come by to see us.”

The Chases also encourage young entrepreneurs like Jennilyn Grimes from Davidsonville by including jams she makes from locally grown fruits and berries in the non-produce items they stock.

Chase commented that he’s seen business drop off in the last decade “because people just don’t cook” though sales picked up considerably last summer during the COVID pandemic. In fact, cars would be lined up early in the morning before opening time and keep coming.

The farm stand’s most devoted customers are those who believe nothing tastes better than a fresh tomato (unlike those raised commercially, transported long distances and gassed to ripeness) or just picked corn. The Chases are always amazed by the distances some clients travel to visit the stand including some from Washington, D.C. For information on Chase’s Produce including hours of operation and special events like spring’s “Pick Your Own Strawberries” days, visit Chase’s Produce – Fruits and Vegetables, Fresh Produce (chasesproduce.com).

About a mile away at 3208 Davidsonville Road, the scene was much the same at Marco Ridge Farm Produce with customers arriving every few minutes.

The 210 acre Marco Ridge farm is owned by the Covington family and located along both sides of Davidsonville Road with some fields directly behind the stand. Both Alan Covington, who arrived on one of the tractors, and his father Max were at the stand last weekend. Max, who is the family patriarch, revealed some of the history behind the farm and its produce operation.

“The land has been a working farm since 1937,” Max Covington said. “Our family bought the farm in 1957. However, it wasn’t until about 20 years ago that my son Max III decided we should sell produce to the public and opened the stand. He’s since moved to Iowa and farms there so we’ve carried on here. I credit our success entirely to our wonderful staff.”

Tractors pulling carts of just-picked corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, cantaloupes and other crops were arriving at the stand hourly and unloading their bounty into colorful bins.

The outside of the farm stand is as colorful as the inside, with home-crafted outdoor furniture, birdhouses and clever “dungaree planters” made by Fred Klinken whose wife Diane helps manage the business.

Unlike other produce stands, Marco Ridge carries its own brand of made-from-the-farm products including salsas, barbecue sauces and salad dressings.

Fresh eggs are offered daily and people are always asking for them. But, above all, Marco Ridge Farms’ corn is the biggest draw for locals and customers from surrounding counties, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

For more information on Marco Ridge Farms Produce visit Marco Ridge Farm | Facebook.

A favorite of people who love to cook is the Pumphrey’s Farm stand at 8220 Veterans Highway in Millersville – a stand Around The Park Again has covered several times previously. At the height of summer, tomatoes, corn, beans and a variety of other crops from the family’s fields are hard to beat. The Pumphreys sometimes grow things you can’t find fresh elsewhere like tiny “husk ground tomatoes”, Cubanelle peppers, flat Italian green beans, okra, tomatillos, or mid-season kale and collard greens.

Pumphrey’s Farm stand is a favorite haunt in the autumn as it stays open until Thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful place to buy late season vegetables and apples, pumpkins for pies or decorations and oodles of chrysanthemums.

For information, visit Pumphrey’s Farm at Pumphrey’s Farm | Facebook.

A brand new discovery for us is Wildberry Farm and Market at 1047 St. Stephens Church Road in Crownsville. The fourth generation family farm is owned by Matt and Bridget Jones. After years of raising their family and maintaining the farm, the Jones decided to open the acreage to the community.

 In addition to growing produce, and flowers, they offer farm fresh eggs. The Jones’ flock of chickens of various breeds are Bridget’s pride and joy.

 Wildberry Farm is an outdoor photography and workshop venue and hosts various events throughout the season. The farm also hosts Field Markets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from June through November. The markets feature their own products and those of 30 rotating vendors. For more information, visit Farmers Market Stand | Wildberry Farm Market | United States.

Chozen’s 10th Anniversary CD Release and Live Recording at Woods on Saturday

Wayman Good Hope AME Chuch’s gospel group “Chozen” will be performing during a live 10th Anniversary recording session and CD release in the sanctuary at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 21 at 4 pm. Other gospel performers will join them for the auspicious occasion including The Mighty Christianairs, The Faithful Boyz, The New Ebony Gospel Singers and Andrew Lincoln.

Chozen includes singers Gerard Coates, Lewis Day, Dana Anderson and Larry Coates with accompanists James Crowner on guitar, Horace Martin on bass, Ryan Johnson on guitar and Mike Wallace on drums. The CD Chozen is releasing is called “The Family That Prays”.

Admission is $15 at the door. For information, contact Larry Coates at 443-286-0856.