Author: wingsorb@aol.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.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

The Anne Arundel County Eastern District Police, Earleigh Heghts Volunteer Fire Company and community group organizers of the 2021 National Night Out breathed a sigh of relief as cars flowed into the fire station parking lot ahead of the event’s 6 pm opening. A year had gone by since the cancellation of last year’s National Night Out due to the COVID pandemic and there was doubt about whether the event would draw a crowd.

The organizers needn’t have worried. Families came out in droves to demonstrate their appreciation and support for our area’s first-response teams while enjoying a diverse array of educational and recreational activities.

Multiple Anne Arundel County Police tents could be seen. Numerous Eastern District police men and women, firefighters and emergency management personnel were participating in the event which was aimed at familiarizing the community with the services they provide.

The very first tent encountered on entering the event from the main parking lot was that of the Anne Arundel County Police – Eastern Disctrict tent that was manned by Corporal Scott McAdoo. In addition to community related informational materials, McAdoo had plenty of “swag” to hand out like coloring books for kids and magnetized clips for adults.

One tent over, at the Anne Arundel County Police Human Relations Department tent, Corporals Simmons and Ziebell were being besieged by families with young children. The kids had spotted bright blue pairs of child-sized sunglasses, coloring books and games on the officers’ table and were drawn to them like bees to honey (as can be seen in the opening photo). For adults there were bag clips, brochures with safety tips and the opportunity to ask Simmons and Ziebell questions.

Barks were heard occasionally from the K-9 Unit trucks parked behind the tents. The dogs and their handlers would later be doing demonstrations. There was even a bark or two from puppy Ace who stood patiently with volunteers Jennifer and Joshua Stibers from Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control. Easily recognizable by their bright purple shirts emblazoned with paw prints, the Stibers were at National Night Out to spread the word about the important work of the organization.

“As volunteers, Joshua and I sometimes transport animals in the animal care and control van or otherwise help with them,” Jessica said. “We also help to socialize animals like Ace who is so young he’s still learning.”

Momentarily on the lam from her own tent, Nancy Greer, co-owner with husband Billy of the Jing Ying Institute of Tai Chi and Kung Fu, visited with friends at other tents – in this case with Kerry Topovski and Tristin Ziegenheim of the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management. In addition to a spinning wheel game featuring suggestions like “Make A Plan”, the pair offered typical emergency supplies as giveaways including glow sticks to light the way and dog dishes designed as scoops for emergency pet foods,

There were “Prepare With Pedro” activity books for children. Both women enjoyed answering attendees’ questions.

After noting that Arnold-based Jing Ying Institute will be holding its 20th Anniversary celebration in September, Greer headed back to her own tent which was manned by several of the school’s students who’d later perform a Tai Chi demonstration. Hiding in one corner of the tent, behind games and giveaways, was a beautifully carved dragon’s head attached to a costume for Jing Ying’s much anticipated Dragon Dance.

Scouts of all types could be spotted everywhere including three young ladies who operated their own Wheel of Fortune game for kids and adults. Perseus Smith and Amy Elder of Boy Scouts of America Troop 346 were joined by Girl Scouts USA Central Maryland Troop 2289 member Karleigh English in operating the game which offered different prizes for different spaces on the wheel.

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Community organizations of many kinds were participants with several involved in planning the event. Many National Night Out attendees stopped by the Pasadena Business Association booth where President Sandi Parrish and board member Melissa Gurney Hosse were touting the organization’s many activities and events.

The two were also doing some advance recruiting for Dragon Boat team competitors in the “Dragons In The Dena Fesitval” being planned for May 21, 2022. The exciting event will be a fundraiser to raise money for a new flagpole at the Route 100 Veteran’s Memorial. Admission will not be charged but the PBA will ask for $5 donation toward the flagpole. There will be a cash bar, food available for sale and a vendor village. Those interested in being on a team or being a sponsor can call Lisa at 443-928-7195.

Fishing Challenges were taking place at two separate locations. At The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce booth, CEO Liz League hosted children of all sizes as they fished for a prize. She simultaneously urged their parents to “Shop Local” this summer and to come out to Park Plaza in October for “Shoptoberfest” featuring products from Severna Park area retailers.

Fishing was equally popular with the tot-to-teen set at the SPAN, Inc. (Serving People Across Neighborhoods) booth overseen by Director of Development Michele Sabean with an assist from Elizabeth Grabau who spent the evening in a bathtub with a rubber duck.

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Even from her make-believe bathtub, Elizabeth was effective in telling people about SPAN’s food pantry and financial assistance services for families in need. She also advised them they can find information about making donations or applyimg for assistance by visiting SPAN Serving People Across Neighborhoods (spanhelps.org) .

As was the case with previous National Nights Out, attendees gravitated to the variety of fire and emergency equipment spread out across the grounds. From mobile command and communications units to community medical services equipment or motorcycle units, people were curious and enjoyed getting up close and personnel.

The Anne Arundel County Police Mobile Command Center seen below was a crowd favorite since visitors were invited inside where Officer Erica Magnuson explained how the surveillance and communications equipment worked.

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For children M.J. and Liam Slack, a highlight of summer vacation was having an opportunity to climb aboard and be photographed on Cpl. Robert Rosso’s police escort motorcycle. Rosso is with the county’s police traffic and safety section.

There was entertainment to be enjoyed from musical group More Cowbell, the first to perform. Ellie Hermann, the 74th Queen of the Chesapeake, came out to help Maryland Yacht Club’s First Lady Tobbi Justice and Fleet Surgeon Tania Marcic draw attention to the club and to our area’s importance as a recreational boating center.

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Set up in a spot near the firehouse, longtime Severna Park businesswoman Betty Winkelmeyer Wells handed out flyers and informed people about the proposed Severna Park Museum being established as a 501 C non-profit. She’s looking for volunteers and funding. Those interested can contact Wells at 443-416-5865.

Keeping a careful eye on things, Earleigh Heights VFC Fire Chief Dave Crawford chatted with fire and police personnel and folks in the crowd. Crawford had good news to share about the fire company’s plans for construction of a new firehouse..

“We finally got the zoning approved by the county council but still need to get our designation,” Crawford said. “A hearing for the property designation will be held September 21. After that we can, hopefully, move forward.”

Crawford also commented on Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company’s recent carnival. The firefighters had hoped for a good turnout because the event is the company’s biggest fundraiser. (The event’s cancellation last July due to COVID was a blow financially.) Fortunately, the carnival was a huge success with great crowds every night.

He added that EHVFC has a number of events coming up including an Open House in October and the annual Bull Roast in November. Of course, Bingo is held every Wednesday night at 7 pm. For information on any and all events, visit Earleigh Heights VFC (ehvfc.org).

Who could possibly forget meeting the “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, Saving Grace Animal Rescue of Maryland’s mascot. The foster pet accompanied Diane Casanova to National Night Out. The pair’s goal was to spread the word about rescued animals’ need for foster or adoptive homes.

“We are a foster-based organization without an actual location,” Casanova said. “However, we operate throughout the southern states, rescuing animals, getting them healthy and then placing them with foster families. For information on the program, visit www.SavingGraceAnimalRescueMD.com .

Like Mrs. Maisel, the gathering at Earleigh Heights VFC was delighted to take it all in again on another National Night Out.

Work was scattered about his desk, but Charlie Sachs, St. Martin’s-in-the-Field’s new Head of School, appeared calm, cool, collected and content last week. With summer classes ended and summer camp over for the day, he was the only person left on campus and happy to greet a visitor.

Sachs arrived at St. Martin’s on July 1st to take over the position held for seven years by Jamey Hein. An experienced educator who has headed schools across the country and the world, he’ll serve as Interim Head for a period of two years, keeping the school strong and well-grounded while the Board of Directors searches for the next permanent head.

Interestingly, he and his wife Kim arrived while a renovation is taking place in the original school building now used for the elementary school. St. Martin’s ability to safely open in September of 2020 and remain open through this June while public schools were closed due to COVID-19 led to increased enrollment – from 230 to 280 students (and possibly a few more). The renovation of the elementary school, when combined with the 2019-built Learning Center that houses the middle school, should accommodate the additional students.

“We were maxed out as far as space is concerned so we’re converting some of the large open rooms in the elementary school into classrooms sized more appropriately for our smaller teacher/student ratio,” Sachs said.

Moving to Severna Park has been a great experience. The community and school campus remind him of New England where he’s held several positions as an educator.

Himself a graduate of the independent Hawken School outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Sachs followed a similarly independent career path. Following college, he joined the Peace Corps teaching English in North Africa and subsequently taught in East Africa. Arriving back in the United States, he held positions as a coach and teacher at boarding schools in California and New England and moved on to become assistant headmaster of an independent day school in Boston. He next accepted his first seven-year headmaster position at a school in Kansas City.

Upon the completion of his tenure there, he agreed to a one-year contract as interim head of a school in Little Rock, Arkansas. But, as is often the case when hired to “fix” a problem, one year was extended to four years. Afterward, he headed a school in Park City, Utah for a number of years. Eventually, he took an interim position in South Korea “creating a remarkable school in a remarkable country with a commitment to education that was truly awe inspiring.”

Sachs said he found each school interesting in its own way and learned a lot at every one of them. He added that his educational and personal perspectives were broadened through working nationally and internationally. Living in wonderful places like Tunisia or Kenya near Nairobi or Santa Barbara overlooking the ocean or Park City where his four sons could ski to their heart’s content was a definite perk. Yet, he feels his most interesting teacher/head of school position was his most recent at The Stanwich School in Greenwich, Connecticut that began as an interim commitment but lasted much longer.

An independent school created during the late 1990’s when a great deal of money flowed into the area, The Stanwich School was a PK-12 school with a $45,000 yearly tuition. It was located on a beautiful property and had an International Baccalaureate accreditation and an excellent faculty. However, like other private schools, it experienced financial difficulties during the economic downturn that began in 2007 and needed to find a way to survive.

“We ended up combining our program with that of the Greenwich Country Day School which was founded in 1927 and attended by the Bush family,” Sachs said. “They had the money and the reputation so, by putting the young, dynamic Stanwich School together with Greenwich Country Day School, we developed assets neither of us could have replicated individually. It was a fascinating process.”

Though headmaster at two schools for quite a long tenure, this is his fourth time being an interim head. Very often, schools look to bring in an interim when there’s been a problem as a kind of trouble-shooter to fix what’s wrong.

“That’s not the case at St. Martin’s,” said Sachs.

Initially attracted by the eagerness of the board and the thoroughness of their search, he traveled from his home in Savannah, Georgia twice to visit the school. He was very impressed with the school’s documentation, administration, faculty, curriculum and strategic plan.

“It was refreshing to see a school that has done things thoughtfully and correctly,” he said.

He finds interim positions attractive because schools already know what they want to accomplish and what their priorities are. Therefore, the interim head can move efficiently through those priorities to prepare the school, faculty and community for the longer term head.

“In my case, we have an AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland Schools) accreditation process to complete and I’ll be working with our relatively young board on being an effective independent preschool though eighth-grade school – one that is strong educationally and financially,” he said.

Sachs very much enjoyed meeting with parents for the first time at a Coffee and Conversation breakfast on July 29 where he and other staff members shared plans for the upcoming year. It’s been decided that, for the present time, school will open with the same successful protocols they employed last year – with masks for students indoors with plenty of outdoor mask breaks and recreation. He’s really looking forward to students’ arrival on the first day of school.

For information on St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School, visit St. Martins Episcopal Preschool, Elementary, Middle School in Maryland (stmartinsmd.org)

Talent Machine Company’s “Urinetown”, The Musical debuts August 6

The hallway of The Classic Theatre of Maryland at 1804 West Street was strewn with backpacks as most of the teen actors they belonged to were rehearsing in the theater just beyond the wall of photographs.

On a break between scenes, actors Andrew Limansky and Daniel Jones talked about how happy they were to be in the production. Daniel, as the character Hot Blades Harry, likes playing a rebel with a hint of danger about him. Andrew, who plays major character Caldwell B. Cladwell is equally enthusiastic playing a money grubbing robber baron. Both actors, who spent the past school year doing remote learning, are delighted to be able to act and interact with people their own age in a musical comedy.

“It’s so much fun being in this company and I’m learning so much,” Daniel said. “I can’t wait till opening night.”

Andrew, who has appeared in other Talent Machine shows, said loves being a member of this cast and having the opportunity to act, sing and dance again.

It seemed the hallway was quite a busy place.

Make-up artist Bella Bergen was seated on the hall floor applying pancake to actor Reid Murphy who has appeared in several Talent Machine productions.

At the far end of the hall, Whitney Green sat on a chair sewing a costume.

Whitney has appeared in a number of Talent Machine Company shows as an actor and dancer and also was a student choreographer. This year she’s gaining experience on the production team.

“I’m doing costumes, working with the microphones and am also working the spotlights for the first weekend of the show,” she said. “You learn a lot with Talent Machine.”

According to the show’s director Sarah Johansen, “Urinetown”, The Musical premiered on Broadway in 2001 and is considered a very funny show. She said there are 17 teens in the cast ages 14 through 18 who are having a ball.

The show will run August 6th through 8th and August 12th through 15th and will be held at Talent Machine’s new venue, The Classic Theatre of Maryland (formerly known as The Shakespeare Theatre of Annapolis). Evening and matinee showtimes available. Tickets are $20.00 and are available for purchase online at www.talentmachine.com or at the door. 

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

With cool breezes stirring on a beautiful July day, friends Diane Evans and Dianne Rey strolled through the gardens at Jonas and Anne Catharine Green Park – a park they both have a strong connection to.

Winding past park benches where visitors took in views of sailboats cruising past the Naval Academy, the pair gravitated to a plaque they’d had made detailing the history of Jonas and Anne Catharine Green for whom the park is named.

Diane Rey, who portrays Colonial Annapolis newspaper publisher Anne Catharine Green for historic reenactments, is a fount of knowledge about the couple.

While weeding flowerbeds, she and Evans were recently approached by a park visitor asking who Jonas and Anne Catharine Green were. Both realized there was no information telling visitors about either of them. They decided to do something about it.

Evans oversees the park as Vice-President of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails which manages the 3-1/2 acre property for the county.

She pointed out that the only thing acknowledging the Greens was a sign near the entrance installed in 2018 when Anne Catharine’s name was added to that of her husband.

“Diane was there in costume representing Mrs. Green who’d have been delighted,” Evans said.

As Printer to the Province of Maryland and publisher of The Maryland Gazette, Jonas, and then Anne Catharine, who carried on both roles after her husband’s death, were major influences in Annapolis’ 18th century history.

Evans noted that the property near the base of the Route 450 Bridge (also referred to as the Naval Academy Bridge) was acquired by the Maryland State Roads Commission from the Severn Land Company in 1938 for use as a roadside park. Management was transferred from one state agency to another until absorbed into the Maryland Department of Natural Resources when it was created in 1969. In 2004, much of the park was transferred to the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks but is largely cared for by the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails.

The park gained the name Jonas Green Park in 1953 to honor the 225th anniversary edition of the Maryland Gazette, one of the oldest newspapers in the country. Started in 1727 by William Parks, the Gazette suspended operations for a time until Jonas Green revived it in 1745. It survived largely due to her efforts.

Rey noted that between 1738, when the newly wed Greens moved to Annapolis, and 1760, they had 14 children, only six of whom survived to adulthood. Anne Catharine helped support the family by selling chocolate and coffee and was likely involved with the business.

“When Jonas died in 1767, she took over the printing press, not missing a single issue of the Maryland Gazette,” Rey said. “Awarded her late husband’s post as Printer to the Province, she printed the laws and proceedings of the Maryland General Assembly and the paper currency. She paid off her husband’s considerable business debts, purchased the family home and established her sons in the business while remaining the master printer. She was a major influence in the Annapolis community, the county and the state in the years leading up to the American Revolution.”

Evans’ interest the park began in 2008 when she joined the board of directors of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails at the urging of the late Elizabeth Wyble who was president at the time.

“Elizabeth asked me, ‘Would you like to do the park?’ I’d always had a dream of redoing this park because there wasn’t much here so I said I’d love to,” Evans said.

It’s what she’s been doing for the past 13 years, gradually getting citizens to purchase benches (there are now six), putting in all the Crepe Myrtles, a variety grasses, and different kinds of trees.

Some of the trees “didn’t make it” as they were planted over the old 450 roadbed that leads to a remnant of the old Route 450 Bridge at the end of the park that was made into a free-to-the-public fishing pier.

The fishing pier runs parallel to the new U.S. Naval Academy Bridge that replaced it and has magnificent views of the Severn River.

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There’s an even more splendid view of the U.S. Naval Academy Bridge beyond the plaque honoring Stanley R. Davis who was part the team that replaced the deteriorating Bascule drawbridge. Both Evans and Rey remember crossing the old drawbridge which they found charming but a trifle annoying when it was drawn up to let boats through while automobile traffic backed up. On the other hand, they love the graceful curves of the new bridge.

A walkway winding past the bridge runs slightly uphill and overlooks more parkland and the rock-lined shore below.

Evans noted that one of her first projects was the installation of three rain gardens in the parking lot with the help of midshipmen from the Naval Academy. Now mature, the gardens absorb stormwater runoff and help cool the heatwave producing parking lot.

Evans later conceived, designed and created the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails’ Legacy Garden where families can purchase a brick to honor a loved one. Anne Catharine Green would approve of the brick purchased by the family of reporter and editor Wendi Winters who perished while protecting Capital Gazette staff members during a newsroom shooting in 2018.

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Evans’ BayScape garden design combines native species along the beach and shoreline with formal planter beds surrounding the Visitor Center. Art is an important part of the design and she is particularly proud of the dramatic Heron carving that stands out from a spot known as the Orphan’s Garden overlooking the beach.

The Orphan’s Garden began as a bed where Evans placed donated plants or shrubs that wouldn’t work elsewhere. The plants grew to maturity and now constitute a grove. The Heron resulted from a bequest for the purchase of artwork from the estate of a gentleman who’d loved the park. While searching for an appropriate piece that would represent the park’s location near the confluence of the Severn and Magothy Rivers and Chesapeake Bay, Evans thought of a heron. She found a carving of one on the Internet by Thurmont, Maryland chainsaw artist Joseph Stepping, Jr. whom she engaged. Stebbing had hoped to carve the bird from a tree fronting the Orphan’s Garden but determined the tree was not stable enough. Instead he carved it in his studio and affixed it to the trunk of the tree.

Artistically rendered signage is also displayed throughout the park. Designed to educate and inform the 150,000 visitors who come from all over the world, some of the signs are bilingual.

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There is also a plaque honoring former Severna Park resident Elizabeth Wyble, a founding board member of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails and it’s president for 15 years.

Wyble was, in large part, responsible for the inclusion of the park Visitor Center which opened in 2009. On entering, visitors will immediately see the innovative information desk Anne Arundel County employees built on their own time in the shape of a ship named the Elizabeth W. as a tribute to Wyble.

Cared for by the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails with help from the Severn River Association and the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, Jonas and Anne Catharine Green Park is more popular than ever with picnickers, crabbers and fishermen, plein air painters, photographers and people simply looking for a quiet space to relax.

It’s also one of the rare points of public access to the public waterways for county residents. Paddle boarding, kayaking and wading is allowed off the beach but swimming is not allowed as there is a precipitous drop off considered dangerous. And, of course, fishing is allowed.

A new sign has recently been posted noting that overnight access to the park will end. But the lovely recreation area will continue to welcome, inspire and inform visitors as a local treasure.

For information and directions to the park, visit Jonas and Anne Catharine Green Park – Anne Arundel County Trails | The Friends of AACo Trails (friendsofaatrails.org) .

AAUW resumes book collections

Dates and locations for the annual used book collection by the Anne Arundel Co. Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) were announced at the Severna Park Independence Day Parade.  Members of the branch participated in the parade and circulated among spectators to share dates and locations for the upcoming used book collections.  Donation sites will be St Martins-in-the Field, the Anne Arundel Community College parking lot, and St Phillips Episcopal Church from 9 am to 12 noon on August 14 and 28, September 11 and October 2 and 16.  The Book Sale will be held in November.  Proceeds will go to scholarships for AA County Women. For further information, visit http://annearundelcounty-md.aauw.net.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

With the start of a new school year fast approaching, the Assistance League of the Chesapeake is stepping up its “Kids In Need” program to raise funds to purchase school uniforms like those above. Monies raised through donations and grants are used to buy and distribute uniforms to seven Title One schools through a partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools. They include MacArthur Middle School and Georgetown East, Germantown, Meade Heights, Mills-Parole, Tyler Heights, and Van Bokkelen elementary schools.

Following a pause in the program in 2020/2021 because of COVID-related school closures, the fundraising drive is back on. Assistance League president Elaine Atkinson and member Teresa Hales Tudor are out and about raising awareness about the need for donations.

The Kids In Need program is one of five AL initiatives, but a very important one,” Atkinson said. “So Teresa and I are spreading the word.”

Begun in 2003, the program has distributed 23,000 uniforms – a record the Assistance League is proud of.

Tudor explained how the program works.

“We’re required to work only with Title One schools (described as those where a majority of families are living in poverty). We provide each child a top, a bottom, a sweatshirt, socks, underwear and a set of toiletries twice a year – in the fall and again in the spring to allow for kids to grow,” she said. “Measuring children for uniforms is something many of our members have gotten quite good at.”

“We welcome both volunteers and donations,” Atkinson added. “Those interested in contributing may visit Home – Assistance League of the ChesapeakeAssistance League of the Chesapeake and click the donate button. A donation of $25 will provide a student with a new top and pants or skirt, $35 will provide the uniform plus a sweatshirt, and $40 will provide the uniform, sweatshirt and socks, underwear and toiletries.”

In addition to promoting the uniform donation drive, Atkinson and Tudor are highlighting the 15th Anniversary of the Assistance League of the Chesapeake chapter’s founding by member Dee Campbell. They’re also striving to educate the public about the organization’s many programs by appearing at community events and creating new marketing materials.

The Assistance League currently has 70 members from across Anne Arundel County. Atkinson, for example, is from Annapolis while Tudor is a Severna Park resident and there are members from Glen Burnie, Severn, Millersville and Pasadena among other communities. As a strictly volunteer-based organization, AL hopes to grow its membership and attract some younger women with the energy and enthusiasm to carry on its mission of community service

Tudor, who worked for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, became aware of AL in the early 2000’s when she witnessed the good work done by their fledgling Kids In Need program and saw it grow from two schools to seven. Thus, when she retired and was looking for a volunteer opportunity, she immediately thought of joining the Assistance League to become a participant in the program.

There are other great programs to be involved in. Atkinson volunteers as a puppeteer with AL’s “Kids On the Block” program visiting second-graders in schools across the county.

“We use life-sized puppets to teach children valuable social skills,” she said. “The puppets act out scripts we’ve developed to discuss and help kids understand such sensitive topics as cultural differences or bullying.”

Among Atkinson’s other favorites is the Stork’s Nest Baby Shower program. Once a year, chapter members gather for a “baby shower” and everyone brings baby gifts to support Baltimore Washington Medical Center’s Stork’s Nest program for young mothers in need. The young women earn points for attending prenatal classes – points they can then use to shop for free at the hospital’s Stork’s Nest Baby Shower redemption center. Last year the chapter provided $6,000 worth of gifts.

While more musically inclined members gravitate to the “Sing-Alongs for Seniors” program for assisted living and nursing home residents, others volunteer with Project Literacy. Through monthly Guest Reader programs, the volunteers work in classrooms tutoring children in reading. They donate books directly to the students and organize activities that promote positive behaviors for effective learning.

“Some members also lend a hand outside of our chapter for schools that don’t have any parent volunteers,” Tudor said. “For instance, they’ll volunteer with the Black Eyed Susan Book Award program (for which students read a pre-selected list of books and choose a winning author). The volunteers come in before school starts, hand out copies of a book on the list, help the students with reading the book and then form a discussion circle. The students earn a certificate for completing the reading list. Our volunteers are so dedicated to encouraging the children to continue reading that they raise money to buy them new books they can take home as their own.”

There are Pen Pal programs and projects to send cards to seniors who have no family members to receive mail from – so many activities to be involved in it’s impossible to list them all. For information, visit www.ALChesapeake.org where there is also an excellent video about Kids In Need.

Things are popping for the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber

With the community’s Independence Day Parade a success, the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors has a multitude of live events planned through November and beyond. According to Chamber CEO Liz League, they range from member events like Friday, July 30th’s “Fly-By Friday Cookout” featuring burgers, dogs and side dishes from Effortless Bistro Chef Laureen Vance to large-scale events free to the public.

“As a community sponsor, we’re currently making preparations for the Anne Arundel Co. Eastern District Police’s “National Night Out” at Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company on August 3 from 6 to 8 pm,” League said. “The event, which attracts thousands of people, is free to the public and features entertainment, games for kids. community booths, snacks, K-9 and Bomb Squad robot demonstrations and displays of police and fire vehicles. It’s a way for the public to come out and express their appreciation to our first responders.”

Fast approaching is the Chamber’s Driving Force Golf Tournament on September 27 at Chartwell Golf and Country Club, a major fundraising event. League just received the go-ahead to bring back the popular Shoptoberfest to be held at Park Plaza in October. Plans are also in the works to hold the annual Taste & Sip of Severna Park event in November at Chartwell Golf & Country Club.

More is on the way. For details on upcoming events, visit Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce (gspacc.com) and click the calendar button or visit Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce | Facebook.