Author: wingsorb@aol.com

This year, because of COVID-19 related school closings, Severna Park High School Drama has had to structure Rock ‘N Roll Revival XXXII as a “virtual” production with a fun “British Invasion” theme.

Over its thirty-one year history, the SPHS Rock ‘N Roll Revivals have had a multitude of themes. Nevertheless, more often that not, the music of British pop stars ranging from Petula Clark and Donovan to The Beatles and Rolling Stones has been part of the productions.

Producer/director Angela Germanos found that recreating those 60’s sound tracks provided an excuse for the RNR costumers to copy Carnaby Street style mini dresses and go go boots like those worn by back-up singers Kaylie Pridgen, Erin Pryzybia and Maddie Howard while harmonizing on Clark’s “Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” in 2015.

RNR’s adult and student producers and directors reproduced the look and sound again in 2017 in a production number featuring British pop tunes that was further enhanced by the compelling choreography of Kelly DeLeon.

The look and music were back once more in 2019 for Rock ‘N Roll Revival’s 30th Anniversary show featuring a Hall of Fame Theme. The concept was not new to Annabelle Cotton and Abby Kondraki who were cast members for the fourth year, Seen here, Abby was cast as a flapper for an upcoming scene while Annabelle was a mod rocker in mini-dress and boots for hers.

So it’s quite understandable that the RNR production team chose a British Invasion theme for Rock ‘N Roll XXXII – a theme that should translate well to a digital version to be viewed online.

Germanos said a date has not been set for airing the show yet as the editing process is so complicated.

“We auditioned virtually and have been practicing virtually. We have also filmed virtually and the videographer and my co-director Atticus Boidy will be combining the vocals with the dance and adding the band to make a final production,” she said.

“We have adult vocal directors, tech director, band director and choreographers and an assistant producer but we also have student leaders for all these positions. The student leaders have been very helpful in making sure the cast and crew understand the process. We have added American Sign Language this year and it is working out very well.”

Chatting with Falcon Drama Boosters board member Jill Robinson, whose daughter Leslie is in the cast, we learned that the virtual production will have 30 songs made famous by British artists. Some are from the era when British pop rock exploded onto the American music scene courtesy of the Fabulous Four appearing on the Ed Sullivan TV Show.

She added that, for each of the songs, her daughter had a couple virtual vocal rehearsals with the vocal director, a couple virtual dance rehearsals with the choreographer and a couple virtual blocking rehearsals ending with a rehearsal combining everything for filming. Everyone has to make their own costumes at home, of course, with help from a costume lead.

“It’s like, ‘Hey, do you have black leggings and can you find a shirt that looks like this, and could you add some silver jewelry?’ Robinson said. “It’s been improvising from whatever we have and quite a challenge.”

Dances can only be performed solo since everyone films them individually instead of as a group. Then the pieces are edited together.

Meantime, SPHS Drama has something else planned to showcase students’ talents – a Virtual Improv Night on March 12 at 7 pm. For a link to Improve Night or for updates on the release of Rock ‘N Roll Revival XXXII, British Invasion, visit HOME | Falcon Drama (sphsdrama.com).

AAUW moves ahead with in-person book discussions

For the first time in a year, members of the county’s American Association of University Women met in person at the World War II Memorial in Annapolis to pick up program guides for the coming year’s activities of their Great Decisions Discussion Group. 

The group is more widely known for their book collection days at drop-by sites in Severna Park, Arnold and Annapolis in preparation for its multi-day book sales held annually at Festival at Pasadena. With literally thousands of books to choose from, the sales are well attended.

Funds raised through the sales are used to support scholarships for women.

According to AAUW publicity committee chair Cathy Crowley, Great Decisions, is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. Organized by The Foreign Policy Association, the discussions provide background information and policy options for the eight most critical issues facing America each year. The Anne Arundel County branch has had a Great Decisions group for more than twenty years.

Crowley said the branch has been restricted during the COVID pandemic to accepting (or sometimes simply packing) limited numbers of donated books from family collections. She was quick to note that AAUW has other activities including book clubs and bridge clubs.

At the moment, announcements are being made about the availability of scholarships and how women can apply. For full information on three categories of scholarships offered, visit AAUW Anne Arundel County (MD) Branch.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

In its fourth year, the Good Neighborhoods Group’s 4th annual S(o)UPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE broke all previous records.

From the moment the “game was on” for the 2021 food drive taking place from February 4 though 7, donations rolled in as never before.

In addition to the original 36 Severna Park communities participating in the food drive, nine new ones from the Broaneck Peninsula joined the effort bringing the total to 44.

Over the course of four days, the neighborhood captains volunteering their homes as collection points found donations of food and household items spilling across every unoccupied space – from bins on back porches to kitchen counters, dining room tables, living room or bedroom floors to garages.

Families collected an astonishing 21,000 items that almost tripled previous records. Children, like Jace Kerley, whose mother Bethany was neighborhood captain for Chartridge, pitched in to help her sort canned goods to donate to SPAN. Mackenzie Grossman and her younger brother Emerson helped carry things as their father Jeremiah, neighborhood captain for Olde Severna Park, packed donations into the family SUV.

Delivery day, set for Super Bowl Sunday but postponed to the following two days due to weather, saw the neighborhood volunteers heading to six different food pantries to drop off donations. The goods were transported in vehicles ranging from SUVs to trucks to red wagons and personally delivered bins.

Neighborhoods on the Severn River side of Severna Park normally drop off their donations to SPAN, Inc. off Benfield Road while those living on the Magothy River side give their donations to ACAN (Asbury Church Assistance Network) on Asbury Drive. But there were so many more donations that My Brother’s Pantry in Arnold was added as a drop-off for neighborhoods on the Broadneck Peninsula. In addition, extra donations flowed to two Pop-Up Pantries and to LARS (Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services).

Multiple neighborhoods delivered donations to ACAN which were gratefully accepted by Executive Director Margo Arnoux. ACAN currently operates a Drive-Through pick-up of food boxes (in keeping with COVID-19 guidelines) Monday through Wednesday from 10 am to 2 pm.

Multiple neighborhoods on the Severn Side donated to SPAN. In fact, there were so many donations headed for SPAN that some were channeled to LARS and the Pop Up pantries mentioned previously).

The 2021 S(o)UPER BOWL FOOD DRIVES’ saw four neighborhoods bringing in 1,000 donated items each. Congratulations are due for Cape McKinsey with over 12 items donated per household. And kudos to the Round Bay and West Severna Park neighborhoods who brought in 1500 items each.

In the past, the reveal for the winning neighborhoods took place at a dinner hosted by Mezzanotte. It was a community night that benefited GNG, too. This year, Mezzanotte will deliver pre-ordered meals to the winning neighborhoods and include complimentary cannolis. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated back to support Good Neighbors Group.

Founder and executive director Julie Shay started the Good Neighbors Group in 2006 and incorporated it as a non-profit in 2017 with a goal of strengthening our communities by sharing service opportunities that have a positive social and environmental impact. She and the GMG board of directors hit on the idea for a Souper Bowl food drive in 2018 because they realized winter is a time when food pantry shelves need replenishing. They initially proposed a competition between the east and west sides of Severna Park but expanded the plan when so many communities responded.

The food drive is but one of Good Neighbors Group’s community based initiatives. In addition to year-round blood drives in cooperation with Anne Arundel Medical Center, there are seasonal projects. The group also supports environmental efforts. They launched a spring project to establish and tend a garden of sustainable native plants along the B&A Trail opposite the Ranger Station. They’ve held several Earth Day events at community schools with as many as 60 schools participating with exhibits. In summer, GNG promotes a swim team food drive.

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During a time of extensive development and population growth that, ironically, contributes to a sense of isolation in the once close-knit Severna Park community, GNG strives to bring all the neighborhoods together in ways that benefit everyone. For more information on GNG’s ongoing projects and events visit its website at Home – Good Neighbors Group or follow them on Facebook at Good Neighbors Group | Facebook.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Within seconds of getting her COVID-19 vaccination, Brightview Severna Park resident Nina Bonti affixed her orange “I Got My Covid-19 Vaccination” disc to her necklace and was showing it to Assisted Living Manager Cidnei Crumity. One of 270 plus residents and associates receiving vaccinations on February 2, Bonti was joyful.

“I’m hopeful that getting the vaccine will keep me from getting the virus and keep my friends and family safe as well,” she said.

She added that she was extremely comfortable with getting the shots and appreciated that they were available to her.

Bonti’s comments were typical of those heard by Brightview Associate Director Shannon Yunn all day. She said the vaccination clinic conducted in partnership with Walgreens Healthcare Clinic last Tuesday couldn’t have run more smoothly.

Having received their first of two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, the residents and associates were scheduled to receive their second shot 21 days later on February 23.

The CDC recommended all senior living residents receive the vaccine free of cost in the first priority wave before it becomes available to the public. Thus, Brightview Senior Living communities at South River and in Annapolis and Crofton also have conducted the clinics. Among other senior living facilities with vaccination programs underway are Spring Arbor of Severna Park, Heartlands at Severna Park and Sunrise of Severna Park.

Thanks to social distancing, masks, and other measures, the Brightview Severna Park population has remained COVID-free.

“We kept everyone healthy all year by following the CDC protocols. For instance, we didn’t serve meals in the dining room but instead boxed them for residents to pick up or have delivered to their rooms.,” Yunn said. “We even did COVID testing the day of the vaccine clinic ahead of everyone getting their shot. No one tested positive so we proceeded, with a little over 270 people arriving for their shots at pre-arranged times.”

Brightview Vibrant Living Director Barbara Sigler set the tone by being one of the first to bare her arm for a Walgreen’s pharmacist.

“I was so excited to get my first shot! ” she said. “While we’ve been staying engaged with each other in a socially distanced manner and with masks, I look forward to when we can go back to restaurants, museums, and concerts again. Getting the shots is a step in the right direction.”

Most everyone felt the same way with 99% of eligible residents opting to be vaccinated. The only exceptions were people who’d received a previous antibody treatment or had a medical problem that precluded being vaccinated.

Between cooperative residents, helpful associates, and experienced pharmacists administering the shots, the clinic ran like clockwork, Residents like Gladys DeLawder, seen here, checked into the waiting area at a pre-communicated vaccine time, had her paperwork verified by the staff and proceeded to one of three vaccination areas where she was met by a Walgreen’s representative who went over her paperwork and administered the shot. She even became the subject of a photo op.

Teamwork prevailed on vaccination day according to Yunn.

“We had so much positive feedback as to how the clinic was organized from the residents, who were pleased, and from the Walgreen pharmacists,” she said.

In a very real sense, Vaccination Day at Brightview was something of a celebration. Everyone was anxious to get back to having normal visits from family and friends. (Carefully monitored visits with health screenings and temperature checks were allowed in accordance with CDC guidelines.). In addition, Brightview Severna Park normally has something of a community feel. Many residents were previously active with local charities and choose to continue supporting them.. Thus, they’ve missed working together on their community charity projects and hope to get back to them soon.

Pleased and relieved to get his shot, resident Howard Graves liked the various signs being handed out to signify one had received the vaccine. He chose an amusing one depicting the COVID virus “cancelled”.

Equally thrilled, Brightview associate Sharon Snow and nurse Fatima Bayemake celebrated by having their photos snapped holding other signs.

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Yunn, who supervised one of the three vaccine administration areas, commented that many of the residents told her they felt excited to be a part of history and happy to take the necessary steps to move toward a sense of normalcy.

She noted that few after affects were experienced by residents or staff members – just the occasional sore arm or mild fatigue – so they’re actually looking forward to the second shot.

Jing Ying Celebrates “The Year of the Ox”

Jing Ying Institute of Tai Chi and Kung Fu begins its celebration of “The Year of the Ox” honoring the 2021 Chinese New Year this Saturday with a series of events for people of all ages.

According to Billy and Nancy Greer, owners of the Arnold-based school, offering Lunar New Year activities has been an important part of giving back to the community for the past 20 years and has included large and festive in-person events. This year they’ll skip the crowds by holding smaller in-person classes and virtual events.

Following a symbolic cleaning of the school to make room for good luck coming in for the new year, the two-week celebration kicks off this Saturday, February 13, from 1-2 pm with a “Lunar New Year Drive-By,” where families can drive by and pick up a goodie bag with a craft activity and giveaways.

Other activities include free tai chi and kung fu classes, an online tea making & tasting class, and an online cooking class.

Some of the free classes will be virtual, according to Nancy Greer. However, an in-person, evening Family Kung Fu Class for children 5 to 10 on February 18 includes an introductory lesson in Kung Fu and participants will receive a Lunar New Year of the Ox gift bag with a take-home craft.

An in-person Homeschool Kung Fu Class suitable for participants ages 5 to adult will be held February 19 from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm. This class also features an introductory lesson in Kung Fu and includes a Lunar New Year celebration gift bag with a take-home craft.

Pre-registration is required for both online and in-person classes and more information can be found at www.JingYing.org or by calling 410-431-5200.

Baby Supply Drive at Coldwell Banker Realty this weekend

Coldwell Banker Realty’s Melanie Wood announced that the office is hosting a Drive-By Drop-Off for Baby Supplies from 9 am to 5 pm in front of their offices at 572B Ritchie Highway in Park Plaza. Wood and Coldwell Banker Realty volunteers along with co-sponsor David Baca of Guaranteed Rate Affinity will be on hand to accept the donations.

All donations will be turned over to local charity Walk The Walk Foundation for distribution to all of our local food pantries.

“We’re looking for contributions of baby wipes, baby wash, lotions, diaper creams and baby shampoos. We already have enough diapers, ” Wood said.

For information on the event visit Melanie Wood of Coldwell Banker Realty – Severna Park, Maryland | Facebook.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

True blue, in more ways than one, Garry’s Grill waitresses Jennifer Tiernan-Neubauer and Angie Deaton braved the elements for a turn in the dunk tank for the restaurant’s Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics MD. on January 30. Fifteen minutes into their turn in the tank after boss Eddie Conway’s stint, they figured turning blue was a definite possibility.

Conway, who organized the Polar Bear Plunge, had finished his turn and changed into sweats to warm up. He soon joined friends Mike Hall, from Annapolis Bowl (inside the bowling pin) and Hall’s business partner Curt Pezzano on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

“I’m a little cold but pleased,” Conway said. “I spent half an hour in the tank and was happier in the water, which was heated, than out of it. It was fun though. We’ve had quite a turnout all day – a continuous stream of people buying three throws for $10.”

He added that eleven other businesses volunteered someone to be a dunk tank target including Rita’s Italian Ice, The Big Bean, Mahon Landscaping, Kevin Gattie Financial, Landmark Roofing, Larry Sells Consulting, the Matt Wyble Real Estate Team, Savvy Consignment, Kaycie Quinones, Severna Park Lanes and Rockwell Fitness.

At tables down the sidewalk, where participants lined up to buy throws, there were auction items donated by community businesses and coffee and sweets donated by The Big Bean. There’d been considerable online donations as well.

“We’re still selling throws and auction items and accepting donations, but I can confidently say we’ve raised over $20,000 for Special Olympics,” Conway said.

Meanwhile, fun in the Polar Bear Plunge Zone continued apace.

Attendees spectated and posed for photos with a giant bowling pin (a.k.a. Mike Hall) while listening to tunes from deejay Michael Kocher.

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Volunteering for a noble cause by going into the drink was no easy matter on such a cold day. Nevertheless, Tiernan-Neubauer and Deaton were game and the target was hit repeatedly during their stint. Plunging into the water, climbing out, and reliving the experience over and over again took fortitude.

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“The water’s warm, but it’s very, very cold up here on the platform,” Deaton said.

Others who volunteered time in the tank agreed heartily. Big Bean owners Greg and Christie Coster found the experience a chilly but amazing start to a busy day.

“We were in the dunking tank from 9 to 9:30 am,” Greg said.

“It was great fun!” added Christie. “We only raised about $400 but, hopefully, our coffee warmed people up.”

Always ready to support a good cause, Matt Wyble, leader of the Matt Wyble Team of Century 21 New Millennium, nominated himself the dunkee. He spent 45 minutes in the tank and raised lots of money for Special Olympics but gave all the credit to Conway.

““Eddie reached out to me two-and-a-half weeks ago with his idea to raise money for Special Olympics MD through a Polar Bear Plunge Dunk Tank. I immediately volunteered myself for the tank and committed to an hour sponsorship, even though I hate cold water, because it’s such an awesome cause.,” Wyble said. “Hats off to Eddie Conway and his entire staff at Garry’s Grill & Catering for hosting such an amazing event, especially on such short notice.”

He added that both he and Conway feel lucky to work and live in such a great community.

“To raise well upwards of 20,000 in less than 3 weeks is yet another example of this amazing place we call home,” he said.

To view Wyble getting dunked, click https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media/?thread_id=6200946&attachment_id=409387943462917&message_id=mid.%24cAABa9U_lAet9lxIZ2V3ZcysN85rz.

With music playing in the background, spectators coming and going to cheer on dunkees or taking three throws to send them in the tank, the event proved a much appreciated slice of real life. It was also proof of the community’s independent businesses ability to come together to support a worthy cause as they’ve been doing for years. Funds donated will provide equipment, training and health screenings for Special Olympics athletes.

Annapolis Rotary celebrates its Centennial

Most famous for its annual crab feasts, which draw people from across Anne Arundel County and beyond, The Annapolis Rotary Club will celebrate its 100th birthday on February 11th.

In addition to celebrating the centennial with an soon-to-be-written history and holding its 75th Annual Crab Feast on August 6th at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, the Annapolis Rotary is planning an Anniversary Gala among other special events.

The club develops Little Free Libraries, sponsors leadership and development programs and contributes approximately $115,000 in direct financial support annually to nonprofits serving the community.

Stay tuned for news of upcoming centennial events. Meantime, for information, visit http://www.annapolisrotary.org/.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

From the moment Governor Larry Hogan announced major closures across the state to limit the spread of COVID-19 on March 12, Anne Arundel County residents took to the Baltimore Annapolis Trail Park in droves for exercise and a healthy release from being confined in their homes. Mild weather, from late March into spring and summer, spurred uncommonly heavy trail use.

“We definitely got a lot more people during last summer than we did during the ten years leading up to it,” said B&A Trail Park Ranger Matthew Vorce. “It was a pretty wild summer. A huge increase in visitors – more that I thought we’d ever get. Of course, visitation has died down a little since it’s gotten colder”

Vorce added that Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman was adamant about keeping the parks open so people would have a place to exercise. Since nothing else was open for months, all the parks were and remain continuously busy.

For cyclists and runners, who found their annual events and marathons cancelled, the trail has provided a way to keep on training. For families, it’s a form of entertainment and exercise that parents and children can enjoy together. For one and all, it’s an opportunity to enjoy the B&A Trail’s many treasures.

Gardening enthusiasts can view 70 volunteer-maintained planter beds coordinated by Becky Ziegler of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails. In early spring, volunteer gardeners can be seen clearing and preparing the beds that later blossom into picturesque gardens. By summer, they’re at their peak and attracting birds, bees and butterflies .

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There are even specially designed bee and butterfly habitats like one created by Scott Jacovic and son Tsedeke. The high-rise bee house they constructed attracts both mason and leaf-cutter bees that collect pollen. They also planted self-sustaining hardy perennials like coneflowers, asters, and flowering milkweed that are staged to bloom from late spring through summer to attract birds, butterflies and bees.

There’s always lots to see including a circa 1919 Severna Park Railroad Station overlooking the trail where the tracks of the Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line Railroad once stood (now a model railroad museum). Nearby, there’ s an original rail crossing sign at Riggs Avenue. Two other historic sites associated with trains exist on the Severna Park part of the trail.

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The 108-year-old Baltimore Annapolis Railroad Powerhouse building is now home to Ann Arundell Historical Society’s Shop at Jones Station. Erected in 1907 as a midpoint electrical substation between Baltimore and Annapolis, it,channeled 22,000 volts of current through three 300-kilowatt transformers to lower it to 6,600 volts and feed it directly to overhead lines. In 1933, the former powerhouse became an ice house for Miss Etta’s Store & Rustic Inn and later for the Wagon Wheels restaurant. Briefly the building housed the historic society’s headquarters before moving to the Benson Hammond House in Linthicum. It subsequently became a Browse & Buy Shop. In 2015,, the Shop at Jones Station opened and sells gifts but is also a historic museum for local artifacts. For information, visit www.aachs.org.

Now serving as the Baltimore Annapolis Trail Park Ranger Station and B&A Rail Museum, another landmark building at 51 West Earleigh Heights Road was built in 1889 as a general store overlooking the tracks.

The history of the railroad displayed inside is fascinating while, outside, the surrounding marsh is a wildlife refuge where red wing blackbirds and other colorful species of birds are a delight for birdwatchers.

An abundance of Olde Severna Park shops back right onto the trail. There are several where exercisers can buy a warm or cool beverage or a snack including The Big Bean Coffee Shop, Sofi’s Crepes, and The Froyo House among others. It’s also the spot where the back entrance to Pedal Pushers bike shop is located – a shop that’s seen sales soar by leaps and bounds throughout the pandemic.

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Pedal Pushers owner Rod Reddish noted that his shop was deemed “essential” and, thus, able to stay open throughout the pandemic.

“We’ve been super busy,” Reddish said. “From March 15 on, people couldn’t do anything else so riding bikes became extremely popular. It’s been crazy actually, almost weird. We ran out of stock in the summer and again near the holiday shopping season.”

He added that all the bicycle companies ran out of stock so local shops had nothing to sell for a while. He said Pedal Pushers has been in business 32 years and he’s seen trail visitation up and down “but never quite like this”.

To learn more about the pleasures of the Baltimore Annapolis Trail Park, visit B&A Trail | Anne Arundel County, MD (aacounty.org)

Director Jennifer Lee Kraus reports that Theater in the Park plans to hop inside a time machine and go back in time as it holds its Musical Theater Workshop for kids ages 5-15. She notes that they’re keeping the “in person” classes to 10 children. They’ll follow all safety protocols – small classes, masks, and social distancing – while still having fun and performing. Classes will be held at Severna Park Community Center on Saturday mornings starting Feb 6th. There will be a live performance on April 24 but it’s not yet been determined whether the audience will be parents only or can be expanded. To register, or for information, visit www.facebook.com/TheaterinthePark.spcc or call 4109-212-1018.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Hearing pure joy in the voices of staffers from the Child Protective Services of Sutton, West Virginia made the trip volunteers Steve and Linda Zahn began six hours earlier totally worth it. They’d just delivered a donation of 500 boxes of winter clothing from Orphan Grain Train.

“West Virginia, here we come,” Linda had thought as she climbed into the passenger seat of the largest truck Orphan Grain Train was able to rent. Behind the wheel, husband Steve put pedal to the metal and they were off.

A large truck was necessary because the one owned by Orphan Grain Train wasn’t big enough to accommodate the 500 boxes of clothes and an additional 250 coats they were transporting.

The Maryland branch of Orphan Grain Train – a Christian volunteer network that ships donated food, clothing, medical and other items to people in need nationally and internationally – is located at 621 East West Boulevard in Millersville. Initially slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic because they couldn’t come into the warehouse, volunteers quickly switched to making masks, scrub caps and headbands for nurses from their homes.

Soon, the non-profit resumed accepting donations from individuals in the community, consignment stores or shops and major businesses. (Most recently, they received handmade blankets, children’s toys and books through a Passport To Serve outreach program of the Anne Arundel County Chick-fil-A’s.) All donations are quarantined and sanitized in OGT’s warehouse using social distancing protocols.

Realizing that the warehouse now had an ample supply of winter clothing to donate, the Zahns volunteered to head a project to find an in-country recipient – preferably one in an economically deprived area. Following their research and a few phone calls, the couple settled on donating the clothing to the Child Protective Services in Sutton, West Virginia which serves the districts of Braxton County, Lewis County and Upshur County.

Sutton, a town of 940 people, is the Braxton county seat. According to the 2010 census, the county is home to 14,702 people with 22% of the population below the poverty line. The surrounding counties of Lewis and Upshur have similar demographics.

Child Protective Services representative Cathy George said the agency serves children from birth to 18 years of age. Having expressed the agency’s gratitude for being chosen a recipient, George made arrangements to receive the shipment at Braxton County High School.

Crossing from Maryland into West Virginia was encouraging because it meant the Zahns were two-thirds of the way to their destination.

Pulling up next to Braxton High School to unload their cargo, they were met by six staff members from the Child Protective Services of Braxton County. Luckily, the school had donated a room in which to stow the large shipment.

“The staff was thrilled to see us,” Linda reported. “They said nothing like this had ever happened to them.”

They all pitched in at once but there was a tremendous amount to unload. Shuttling it inside and stacking it was yet another matter. One of the best things about the shipment is that the clothing arrived in time for Christmas.

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International projects like the South Sudan effort are an OGT hallmark. However, there is currently considerable need domestically. The Zahns believe the charity should devote more time and resources to communities nearer home, particularly since the cost of shipping donations internationally has risen dramatically to thousands of dollars.

“It would also be good to attract some younger volunteers like those from Annapolis Christian School who help us out while earning service learning points,” Linda Zahn said. For information about the non-profit or to make a donation, visit Orphan Grain Train | Passporttoserve. or call (410) 647-1621.

Garry’s Grill plans a “Polar Bear Plunge” of a different sort

The polar bear was seen warming up in Eddie Conway’s living room for Garry’s Grill and Catering’s “Polar Bear Plunge” benefiting Special Olympics on Saturday, January 30 from 8 am till 4 pm.

The local business community is joining forces to give back for the community support they’ve received. Every hour, a different business will take over the Garry’s Grill Polar Bear Plunge Dunk Tank in a heated tent on the patio beside the restaurant. Conway will be in the tank for Garry’s Grill from 1 to 2 pm.

Some other businesses taking turns in the tank include Rita’s Italian Ice, The Big Bean, Mahon Landscaping, Kevin Gattie Financial, Landmark Roofing, Larry Sells Consulting, the Matt Wyble Real Estate Team, Savvy Consignment, Kaycie Quinones, Severna Park Lanes and Rockwell Fitness. Come out and support your favorites and try out your arm. You get 3 tries for $10 to send someone into the tank while raising money for Special Olympics

You can also click Check out Garry’s Grill’s team fundraising page for Special Olympics Maryland (somd.org) for another way to support Special Olympics.

Boy Scout Troop #192 sponsoring a Clothing Drive at Historic Baldwin Hall

Boy Scout Troop #192 is sponsoring a Clothing Drive to be held at Historic Baldwin Hall on Sunday, January 31 from noon till 3 pm. The scouts are requesting that people bring their donations of clean gently used clothing wrapped in white kitchen -sized trash bags. According to Janice Crowe, president of the Trustees of Historic Badwin Hall, boys and girls from the troop, which is a brand new one, will be on hand to collect the bags. For more information, email janice.a.crowe@comcast.net.

Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber Blood Drive

On Friday, January 29, the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber will host a blood drive at their offices at 1 Holly Avenue at 10 am. Anne Arundel Medical Center is bringing a mobile unit.  Chamber CEO Liz League said the organization will take a picture of each donor and post and tag their businesses on social media. For information visit Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce | Facebook.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

With just 15 minutes till closing time, the line of vehicles approaching the white tents in front of ACAN, Inc.’s food pantry finally slackened. Wearing their masks, volunteers Theodore Pack, Laura Chrystal, Furman Carr, Melody Pearson and Pat Rogers had carried box after box filled with lean meats, fresh produce, fruits, dairy and other items to the cars. No one would leave hungry and, best of all, they didn’t even have to get out of their cars.

Four Anne Arundel County police cars parked behind the building meant that officers from the Northern District at Brooklyn Park were also on hand to help.

Inside, ACAN’s executive director Margo Arnoux sat at her desk catching up with her never-ending paper work. Looking around the small office, which is cluttered with overflow food pantry supplies there’s no room for elsewhere, she reflected on the enormous changes ACAN experienced during 2020.

Shortly after launching the pantry’s COVID Pandemic Crisis Response last March, ACAN’s beloved director Janet Pack unexpectedly passed away. She’d suffered a massive heart attack. Arnoux, who had been her assistant, couldn’t have been more shocked or devastated.

“I’d been Janet’s right hand and we’d talk at least three times a day about what we were doing and how we could bring all these dreams she had to fruition. They would now be interrupted,” Arnoux said.

“I thought there was no way I could do this job without her. But then I heard her voice in the back of my mind saying ‘Baby girl, save your tears for somebody else. You need to keep feeding those people,’ and I knew we all had to keep going and realize her dreams. Janet had taught me so much that, in retrospect, it’s like she was preparing me to carry on pandemic or not. Ironically, the day after she died, we were offered funding by Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS).”

ACAN has been providing healthy food for Anne Arundel County’s most vulnerable residents from their small building at 429 Asbury Drive for many years now. Unfortunately, with locked-down businesses and lost jobs and wages, the number of families the pantry serves has tripled. Because of COVID restrictions, the staff and volunteers abruptly changed the way they did things and geared up fast.

Prior to COVID, ACAN was an indoor self-choice pantry where customers could select the items they wanted to eat. Now, the staff and volunteers innovated a new drive-thru system, expanding into socially distanced tents and tables outside for food distribution. They also shifted to preparing grocery boxes that could safely be handed into customer’s cars.

Thanks to funding from ACDS and The CARES Act, (The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020), they were able to ramp up operations to provide food for approximately 2,000 individuals each month.

ACAN differs from some food pantries in that they are partners of The Maryland Food Bank. So, in addition to accepting donations from individuals and local supermarkets or through food drives by community organizations, churches and schools, they get a substantial amount of pantry items directly from The Maryland Food Bank for which they pay a minimal amount to cover handling and packaging.

“Because the food bank receives donations in bulk, they must maintain a staff to break them down into manageable quantities,” Arnoux said. “Frankly, there’s no way we, or other other partner agencies, could handle a donation of 7,000 pounds of chicken.”

ACAN picks up an average of 10,000 pounds of food every week from the Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore and various local grocery stores using two vans. By combining donations from a local Men’s Bible Study Group and a grant from the Maryland Food Bank, they purchased a Ford transit at the end of 2019. Also, CARES funding from ACDS made it possible to repair the charity’s “baby van”, purchased earlier in 2019 with donations from the Good Neighbors Group.

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ACAN has always been very open and welcoming to county residents needing food. All that is required from recipients is that they show a driver’s license proving that they are Anne Arundel County residents. Arnoux pointed out that it’s easier for first-time families hesitant or embarrassed about asking for help because they can just pull up in their cars, they are wearing their masks, and the volunteers are so welcoming.

“No one abuses the system. If you show up here, you need food,” Arnoux said.

When the food pantry was started 17 years ago by members of Asbury Church’s largely African American congregation, canned and dry goods were the primary donations they received and distributed. That changed when Janet Pack became director. She was aware that diabetes and heart disease were all too common in the African American community – in part because of poor nutrition. She was passionate about creating and maintaining a “healthy food pantry” and succeeded in finding ways to provide lean protein, fresh vegetables and fruit. She even taught classes on good nutrition.

Peeking around the door frame, police officer Sgt. Melanie Jamieson politely inquired if the volunteers would like help bringing supplies back in. According to Arnoux, it’s been great having the officers pitch in to help whenever they need it.

“We have a limited number of volunteers who are mostly older and we’d have had real trouble handling the task without their help,” Arnoux said.

Officer Jameison indicated it’s a labor of love for them.

“We do stuff throughout the county but we especially like helping ACAN because they have a lot of stuff going on here. We try to give them as much help as possible,” she said. “We love coming here. The atmosphere is amazing. Everybody is so nice and so gracious and seeing the reactions of the people who come here distraught but leave smiling just warms our hearts.”

The officers brought quite a few supplies before taking off and the dynamic group of volunteers began carrying in the rest. With most everything in, Pat Rogers and Melody Pearson checked open boxes while Theodore Pack disassembled the tents. They feed off each other’s energy and, by now, they have a very smooth and organized routine.

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Space was a big challenge before the pandemic but the pantry has been shifted around so there’s room to store everything in an orderly fashion. Having the tents has actually allowed ACAN to double usable space. Nevertheless, they give away as much as they can each day so they don’t have to find room for it.

With the work finally complete, Arnoux and the volunteers took a few moments to bask in the sun in front of their little building.

ACAN depends on support from the community and its businesses. There are several ways you can donate: by mail at 429 Asbury Drive, Severna Park, Md. 21146, online at AcanSevernaPark.org or text “give” to 443-233-0870.

Good Neighbors Group’s S(o)UPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE

ACAN is one of the groups that will benefit from the Good Neighbors Group’s 2021 S(o)UPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE that begins the Sunday before the Super Bowl and culminates on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s a fun competition between neighborhoods to collect as much food as they can to restock local food pantries at a time when their shelves may be bare. To join in the fun or for information, visit Home – Good Neighbors Group.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler

Severna Park’s newest bricks and mortar business, Peaceful Petals at 554 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, could best be described as bustling Wednesday afternoon. A line of women holding bouquets waited at the checkout counter, mothers and children picked out blooms together, and a soldier sought help selecting a bouquet for his wife’s birthday.

The moment new customers passed beneath the Peaceful Petals sign and entered the shop, they realized they were in for a different experience. Instead of buying a florist-designed arrangement, customers were free to choose a bloom here and a bloom there from buckets containing roses, tulips, mums, ranunculus, hydrangeas, lavender and other flowers plus greenery from a “flower bar” along the wall.

The shop’s personable owner Megan Taylor moved among the shoppers. Many were familiar to her as they’ve purchased flowers from her Peaceful Petals vintage flower truck over the past year.

Between refilling flower buckets, Taylor would stop to offer tips or answer questions….sometimes about the vintage 1958 VW Truck turned Peaceful Petals Flower Truck that became such a familiar part of the scenery along B&A Boulevard.

It would seem that “retail” is in Taylor’s blood.

As a child, my parents had a sporting goods store, so I’d say I’ve always had a small business spirit and an interest in having my own store!” Taylor said.

“I worked in retail at J.McLaughlin when I lived in New York City and there was always something special about connecting with the community by having a shop for people to come to. The flower truck was the ‘bud’ of that if you will, and it ‘bloomed’ into something bigger than I had expected.”

The dynamic young entrepreneur credits her flower truck’s success to the fact that many Severna Park residents “love an experience” and they also like to support small businesses. She’s very thankful. That said, she acknowledges the truck’s limited capacity.

“When we sold out, we’d have to close up shop. We’d get messages after we’d leave wherever we were that day from folks who missed out. That, coupled with a finicky 1958 engine and relying on good weather, led me to the store,” she said.

Taylor is delighted she can now be open rain or shine and refill the flower buckets from the shop cooler when they’ve sold out!

Indeed, the flowers available in the Peaceful Petals Flower Bar are superbly fresh because the temperature in the shop is kept slightly cooler than in neighboring businesses – a fact that is much appreciated by customers.

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Spotted happily picking out stems to complete her bouquet, regular customer Brooke Shivers said she loves that the flowers are always fresh and always in-season.

“Visiting here to buy a bouquet, I think, during these times is something that kind of brightens your day”, she said. “I’ve loved visiting the truck on a random Sunday but I’m proud Megan’s here now six days a week.”

Unlike other business owners, Taylor really didn’t have to research the market much before deciding to open a Severn Park bricks and mortar location.

“I had the pleasure of parking across the street from this shop for a year. The community started to get to know my brand so, when I heard that a spot was opening up, I knew I had to jump on it. I’ve gotten really close with the owners of other businesses in this strip and it just felt like the perfect match!,” she said.

She added that opening a business in Severna Park is expensive but really depends on the space and what was in there beforehand. The space Peaceful Petals jumped into (a former antiques store) required a lot of love and work to make it both Taylor’s style and functional. Functionality is critical since processing flowers “the correct way” is important for the life of the stems.

Indeed, great care is taken to keep the stems beautiful. Special netting is even used on flowers like mums to keep them from opening too soon.

The shop officially opened January 5 but is still a work in progress with more design work in the offing.

Taylor feels the Peaceful Petals Flower Truck had big shoes, or “wheels” to fill as a gorgeous and vintage backdrop. She firmly believes the store needs to separate itself from the truck while also being a pretty space to come visit. To that end, artist Mary Alisa Bowen from Annapolis-based Mary Alisa Art will be working this weekend on a mural or two. One will include an image of the by-now well-known truck which will still be seen in the area from time to time.

Carrying locally-sourced customer favorites at affordable prices is a top priority. Peonies and ranunculus are heavy favorites and roses are increasingly popular. Some customers will come in for a single stem or two for a bud vase. Some flowers will keep for up to three weeks, so customers often come in to replace wilted blossoms thereby supplementing and extending the life of their bouquet.

Taylor is “a big party planner” for both adults and kids and can’t wait until the world gets back to normal when it will be possible to have events and parties in the new space. In fact, the idea for her flower truck originated as an outgrowth of the party and event planning she’d done for friends. She’s not planning a grand opening for the shop yet…not until she can make it a big party.

Meantime, Peaceful Petals’ hours are as follows:

Monday – Flower Bar is closed (Grab n Go’s are Available)

Tuesday – Saturday – 9AM- 4PM

(Thursdays- deliveries, one-time and subscriptions)

Sunday : 11AM – 4PM

Follow Peaceful Petals on Facebook at Peaceful Petals Flower Shop & Truck | Facebook, on their website at www.peacefulpetalsflowertruck.com . Or on Instagram: @pcefulpetalsflowershop or@peacefulpetalsflowertruck. Email them at  orders@peacefulpetalsflowertruck.com or call 917-828-1696.

Short Notice for Severn River Lions Benefit Fruit Sale

The pandemic has disrupted the Severn River Lions fruit benefit sale scheduling. The club will have its January Citrus benefit fruit sale offering grapefruit and honeybell oranges, aka, Minneola Tangelos  Saturday, January 16, at Cypress Creek Park, 11 Cypress Creek Road, Severna Park, Md.

You must order by Friday, January 8.  Orders will be by credit card only and picked up Saturday, January 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. without extra charge. Delivery direct to you is $6.95 per box ordered. Please wear a mask for pickup. Bring your email receipt for faster, easier pickup.

Order, at SRLC Fruit, https://shop.floridaindianrivergroves.com/ecommerce/1014813,

For price list or questions email fruitorders@severnriverlions.org or call 410-518-9863.

AROUND THE PARK by Sharon Lee Tegler

Normally a time for celebration, New Year’s Eve has been spent in many different ways over the years.

The first “Ball Drop” in front of the New York Times offices at One Times Square caused great excitement in 1907 as it ushered in 1908. That excitement continues more than a century later though the Times Square festivities will be limited, subdued and partially virtual this year.

The New Year’s Eve following the end of Prohibition in 1933 saw tremendous celebrating in night clubs, hotel ballrooms, restaurants, saloons and at private parties throughout the country where alcohol flowed freely. From the 1940’s through the 70’s Big Band dinner dances and appearances by headline entertainers dominated New Year’s Eves and provided “holiday gigs” for generations of musicians. From 1975 onward, “First Night” celebrations featuring local artists and musicians and concerts with fireworks took place in cities throughout the nation…. including Annapolis.

Though more family oriented in the past decade, this New Year’s Eve’s celebrations will be different yet with fireworks and other events cancelled because of COVID-19. They may be more isolated….or will they?

Chatting with people around the community, we’re finding that New Year’s Eve will still be celebratory….. but in varied ways. Some families may revive family traditions while others will create new ones.

For Atalie Day Payne, seen here with her husband Jared and youngest children at Kinder Farm Park early this year, the celebration will definitely be a family affair.

She’ll make a special meal for Jared, teenage son Ezra, 4-year-old daughter Elise, toddler Jasper, her mother Brenda Justice and possibly others. They’ll likely play games afterwards. Payne is also thinking of bringing back an old family custom.

“I grew up in Cumberland and I remember that our family would join other families in going outside on New Year’s Eve and banging pots and pans as loudly as we could at midnight,” she said. “It was a shock to me to discover, after moving here, that people shot off fireworks instead.”

Though Payne doesn’t make any New Year’s resolutions or predictions, the former columnist is hopeful for 2021. She bucked the trend and started a new business, Atalie Day Photography, in October which took off like a rocket ship thanks to her popular holiday photo sessions. She said she feels very humbled by the good reception her business has gotten when so many others are struggling.

Karen and Bob Royer will spend New Year’s Eve at home Zooming with their grandson in Scotland who just turned one year old. Then they’ll bid 2020 goodbye.

“We’ll be happy to see the dawn of 2021 as we have lots of exciting plans in the works,” Karen said. “Bob and the men in Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church’s REHAB group (REtired HAndypersons and Breakfast Society) are continuing energy-saving projects at the church and working with the Severna Park Community Center on a project to replace the windows in the Historic Holy Grounds building – the building that once housed St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church.” (The church owns the building while the community center manages it.)

“Our gardening group is looking forward to seeing our new native plants and shrubs bloom in the spring to welcome back our pollinators,” she added. “Our grounds at Woods are becoming part of larger pollinator pathways in our community.”

Though always up for an adventure or glamorous event, Petra Ligmond Roche and husband Dan are taking a different approach to New Year’s Eve this year.

“We’re keeping it very low key here,” she said. “Our adult children will be celebrating at our home with us. It will be a fun family evening filled with Disney +, good wine, and cheap champagne!”

Tammi Molavi isn’t preparing any special “good luck for the New Year” foods or hosting a party. Nevertheless, she’ll be busy.

“We’ll be helping our daughter Josee move into a new apartment in Washington, D.C. during the early part of the day,” Molavi said. “Then, we’re planning to stay at home so I’ve ordered a “grazing box” from April’s Table in Olde Severna Park and I’ve also ordered some take-out from Sizzle Shack, a new business with great crab cakes that was started during the pandemic by Shipley’s Choice residents Cliff and Liz Jones. Our son will be working at Park Tavern so we’ll just be here chillin’.”

Molavi added that, like Payne, she’s grateful that j.lolly, the new business she launched this autumn with partner Michelle Hickman to create beautifully themed table settings people can “rent”, has done well…..especially during the holidays. They’re hopeful they’ll be even busier come spring.

Amber Kaltz, who is communications director for St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Church, really likes family traditions.

“As kids, my sister and I rang in many a Happy New Year eating pizza and staying up late watching musicals from my grandma’s VHS collection,” Kaltz said. “Now my family likes to play board games with friends on New Year’s Eve.”

She added that she doesn’t prepare any special good luck foods for the New Year but loves to read about other’s dishes. She’s an avid reader and is pleased to have received a “new haul of books ” over the holidays and looks forward to sharing them with the family.

Amy Badger Laque has a fondness for tradition too, never missing an opportunity to celebrate “back-to-school” day with ice cream or any one of her four kids’ birthdays.

“We, like Atalie, love to celebrate New Year’s Eve by banging on on pots and pans at midnight,” Laque says. “My kids enjoy the license to make a ruckus.”

She’s not sure if the food has any good luck powers but her family typically has shrimp on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day along with other appetizers and party foods.

“A family favorite is crab dip, a recipe passed down from my late aunt, Jan Roland, who was well known for creating the fabulous dish,” she said.

The Laque family usually takes a “first day hike”, often in Patapsco Valley State Park. While no one’s resolutions last much past January, Laque does have a serious New Year’s prediction to make,

She’s really missed seeing family and friends and the ability to move about freely but,she’s loved having more time to spend with her children. She predicts that, after the initial effort to make up for lost time with visiting and activity restrictions, many people will spend more time doing the simple things they once took for granted.

As for me, I delight in celebrating New Year’s Eve. There will be a family dinner with candlelight, wine, special foods and lots of jazz playing in the background this year. There are several special dishes that are said to bring good luck in the New Year and I’ve tried most of them.

A dish called Hoppin’ John is widely served across the south and is believed to have originated in the Carolina’s – possibly as a rice and bean subsistence dish made by slaves. When served on New Year’s Eve, Hoppin’ John is said to bring posterity. It consists of black-eyed peas – to symbolize coins – that are served over rice along with mustard greens or collards to represent greenbacks,

There are hundreds of versions of Hoppin’ John but I found the most basic recipe in a book called “The Welcome Table” by African American author Jessica B. Harris It follows:

• 1 pound black eyed peas (dried)
• 1/2 pound salt pork
• 1 quart water
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 3 cups hot water

Soak the peas overnight, then drain. Fry the salt pork in a heavy pan to render the fat and, when crisp, add the peas, water, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook forty minutes till the peas are tender and then add rice with 3 cups of hot water and simmer till the rice is tender.

Variations include flavoring with bacon or ham in place of salt pork….. or adding onions, leeks, red or green peppers, chilies, or other aromatic vegetables and/or a dash of hot sauce.

Pork is another good luck food served at New Year’s dinners. The tradition is based on the fact that “the pig roots forward and moves ahead”. There are many variations, from chops to roasts to hams. A particularly easy pork recipe I like to use is featured as a Sharon Lee’s Table recipe: Company coming and pinched for time? Pork’s the answer – sharonleestable.com. Feel free to click and give it a try.

Around The Park Again and www.sharonleestable wish everyone prosperity, a return to normalcy, and a very happy and healthy 2021.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

At holiday time a year ago, the Chesapeake Harmony Chorus was performing live for the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s 2019 Taste & Sip event. Decked out in holiday red and gathered before a lighted Christmas tree with new director Sally Burton at the forefront, they serenaded attendees at the Chartwell Golf and Country Club with a program of carols. They’d performed similar programs during Christmases past at venues throughout Anne Arundel County.

A competitive Sweet Adelines chorus that sings a capella harmony in the barbershop style, the group has been greatly enjoyed at other local holiday events including Severna Park Community Center’s Cookies & Carols gatherings and seasonal programs at Baldwin Hall in Millersville where they are currently based.

But this holiday season has required a very different approach.

Beginning in mid-March, the COVID pandemic prevented chorus members from practicing together and brought about cancellations of all their scheduled performances. However, they are a very resilient group of women. Inspired by their determined and innovative director Burton, they found ways to practice and to prepare their special Christmas performance – albeit a virtual one.

Burton explained how their harmonious holiday arrangement of “Happy Holidays” was recorded and presented as a YouTube video . They’d chosen “Happy Holidays” because it works for a variety of religions.

“To learn how we could do a virtual performance together I’d joined some Facebook groups of choruses and choirs who were already exploring the process,” she said. “I simply applied what I’d learned.

To make a long story short, Burton asked her singers to record themselves singing their parts into a digital device (even a Smartphone), while listening to a learning track from another device through an earpiece. By singing ‘exactly what they were hearing in their earpieces’, everyone was literally performing the song together though their individual recorders picked up only their voice.

The chorus members then emailed the individual recordings to Burton who put all the pieces together using a software package called Adobe Audition.

“I’d matched and combined all the recordings and exported them to the singers as one audio file,” she said. ” Then, with the audio recording playing in their ears, the women used their phones to record themselves singing to it in order to make “cameos” showing each singer.

The fifteen-member chorus’ “Happy Holidays” YouTube video is sung in four-part harmony with seven lead singers to carry the melody including Peggy Coulter, Reggie Cox, Leone Craven, Marge McGugan, Carol Gass, Diane Schwartz, and Lynda Walsh. Two tenors – Eileen Robinson and Sally Burton sang above the melody. Four baritones including Patti Platt, Sue Berger, Marjorie Rawhouser, and Cathy White filled in above and below the melody and two basses – Mary Beth Whisman and Mindy Cassel sang the lowest notes in each chord.

The process was made easier because the chorus had already held a Zoom rehearsal of the number. Since the pandemic, they’ve rehearsed twice monthly by singing remotely from socially distanced cars at two parking garage locations – one at the Glen Burnie Public Parking Garage and the other beneath the former Nordstrom’s at Westfleld Annapolis Mall.

Bringing audiences the gift of music during “Christmases Past” has always been one of the group;s greatest joys. “Christmas Present” required finding a new way to celebrate through song. Hopefully, “Christmas Future” will find the singers back in front of their ever-appreciative audiences. Meantime, you can view the Chesapeake Harmony Chorus’ tuneful YouTube video of “Happy Holidays” by clicking https://youtu.be/j7JKuY2at84 . For information and updated news about the chorus as we head into 2021 visit ChesapeakeHarmony.org .

It’s magical how spiritual music is also being created virtually by the St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Epicopal Church Choir of which Sally Burton is a member. St. Martin’s director of music ministries Dr. HyeSung Hwang puts together virtual performances of hymns using a unique process of her own. The choir’s latest offering is “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”.

Dr. Hwang films herself directing the hymn she chooses complete with audio. She then asks choir members to film selfies of themselves singing to her direction. The singers email her their recordings to be combined into one audio file. The process works beautifully. To hear the hymns, visit St. Martins-In-The-Field Episcopal Church | Facebook

A “Live Nativity” drive-thru style at Woods Church

Shepherds in the field watching their flocks is not something you commonly see in Severna Park – even in the nights before the birth of Christ. Yet, thanks to several wonderful families from the congregation of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, the entire Nativity story unfolded for visitors to safely view on December 17 and 18 as they drove by in their cars.

Shepherds Nikki and Kelsey Lawson, who own Annapolis-based Cowgirl Up Pony Parties watched over “part” of their flock aided by their miniature spotted donkey named “Donkey”, their Shetland pony “Mr. Ed”, their brown and white goat “Remy”, their white, tan and black goat Hunter and their largest goat “Pappy”.

While the shepherds minded their animals, three Kings or Wise Men from the Orient (depicted by the Ivey brothers, Nick, Keith and Gavin) were following a very bright star east toward Bethlehem where it was said they would find a newborn king. They carried gifts of gold, frankincense, and myhrr.

They passed a second group of shepherds (Jack, Lin, Mae and Jennifer Hayman) to whom an angel of the Lord had appeared with a heavenly host.

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Traveling on, the Wise Men came upon an Inn where the Innkeepers, depicted by Carol Ann and Vic Marone, informed them “there was no room”.

The Marones, who are very involved with the church’s WoodsWork Habitat for Humanity youth building projects, said the background for the vignette was designed and built by their teenage kids.

Journeying through Bethlehem, the Wise Men found the citizens of Bethlehem (portrayed by members of the Matthews, Smith, Albrecht, Harrison and Mays families) hard at work at various trades including bakers and blacksmiths. As the night was cold, the workers took turns by a fire pit.

Finally, the star the Three Kings were following came to rest over a stable where a baby had been born, wrapped in swaddling clothes by his mother Mary, and laid in a manger. By the time the Wise Men arrived, the baby they named Jesus, was being held by his mother (Jesse Binnix) and surrounded by the Holy family with Erik Binnix as Joseph along with Zack and Morgan Binnix.

A special stop-off was constructed at the end of the Living Nativity Drive-Thru where people left donations to benefit the charity Arundel House of Hope. Volunteers like Dylan Roche, Bob Royer and David Merrill, Woods’ Director of Music and Arts, kept the traffic flowing smoothly thereby guaranteeing success for the two-day event.

Merrill had some news to share and an invitation as well.

“I wanted to let everyone know about the premier of our community-wide, socially- distanced virtual movie “Amahl and the Night Visitors” being shown on the Woods’ YouTube page on Christmas Day,” the director said. “People can view it at 4 pm. ”

According to Merrill, a talented cast of young actors (from the Woods’ congregation) filmed scenes in October and November behind Severn School, in the Ulmstead community, and at Woods Church.  He explained the story behind the production.

“Written in 1951, ‘Amahl’ is a Christmas story about a crippled shepherd boy, prone to telling tall tales. He lives in poverty and obscurity with his weary, bitter mother,” he said. “When the magi stop by their home on a cold winter night, a delightful story unfolds — one that is poignant and profound.”

Merrill and Woods Church hope the community will join the cast on December 25 at 4:00 pm on Youtube Premier, for “Amahl and The Night Visitors”. You may access the Premier link by going to: www.wmpcshows.com.

For more information, visit Events | Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org)