Author: wingsorb@aol.com

Lee Marston is one of nine founding members being honored at the Severna Park Community Center’s 25th Anniversary Gala in October. Referred to as “the heartbeat of the community”, the center’s many programs and activities attract residents from Severna Park and neighboring communities as well as from across the state. But, according to Marston and SPCC’s executive director Sarah Elder, it nearly didn’t happen.

“Back in 1966, the late realtor Hammond S. Carr challenged Nancy Pascal, Art Morris and I to raise the funding and build the original outdoor pool for the Severna Park YMCA ,” Marston said. “The Y owned the pool and its small support building but Woods Church owned the land However, by the early 1990’s, the Y was failing financially. and we had to figure out a way to save it. That’s when the idea for a community center came up.”

In 1995, Marston and a group comprised of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church members worked tirelessly to save the pool by building a new, modern community center around it.

The Woods Church members, inspired by Rev. Terry Shoener, were very involved from day one. Member Andy Borland spearheaded a Capital Campaign which raised $4.6 million to support the transition. Borland’s outstanding fundraising efforts were aided by fellow anniversary honorees Marston, Mark Corneal, Carl Gutschick, Charlie Kreter,, Jeff Norris, Terry Schoener, John Strange and Joan Tiernan,

Completed in 1995, the facility features two indoor swimming pools, a dance studio, art room and fitness center as well as the Andy Borland Gymnasium. From theater, art and dance to swimming, martial arts and pickle ball, there’s something for everyone.

Marston and Elder are eagerly awaiting the moment the center can reopen, resume its regular schedule of classes and programs hold four exciting anniversary events.

She noted that SPCC’s schedule of classes, activities and events was upended by the virus. Governor Hogan’s Stay At Home Order of March 23 not only closed the community center to the public but forced the cancellation of the already-sold-out anniversary gala slated for April 18th. Closing caused untold hardships.

“For non-profits like us, it’s hard to hang in there. The shutdown meant no revenue coming in so we had to furlough most of the staff.,” Elder said. “Luckily, we were able to get a PPP loan so we’re bringing them back a few at a time.”

To maintain essential systems, a handful of staffers have been working in the building through the shutdown. Someone had to run water in all the pipes and make sure the mechanical systems were working and do visual inspections of the property to make sure there were no leaks in the pools. Temperatures and chemical balances had to be maintained in both.

Instead of following SPCC’s normal practice of shutting down for a week in August to drain and clean the main pool before refilling it, the staff chose to do it now. In the process, they discovered a serious crack near the expansion joint and were able to repair it along with minor leaks.

Funds must soon be raised for a full resurfacing. Past records indicate the last time the pool was resurfaced was 25 years ago when the “outdoor pool” became part of the new community center.

Repainting and renovations to freshen and update some areas of the center have been undertaken to make the facility more welcoming to visitors and users.

SPCC’s board of directors and staff are already in discussion about starting up again and rescheduling the anniversary events when they get the governor’s all-clear.

The first anniversary event is planned for September 27, a community picnic to be held offsite at Kurtz Beach in Pasadena. It’s also an event also meant as an expression of appreciation for SPCC’s hardworking staff.

The 25th Anniversary Gala will follow on Saturday, October 24 at 7 pm. For the first time, it will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Linthicum Heights near BWI. With 350 tickets sold, the organizers found they’d outgrown their previous venue Chartwell Golf and Country Club. Themed “An Evening of Glamour and Giving”, the gala is bound to be as opulent as ever.

SPCC’s annual galas began as fundraisers for maintaining the facility and repaying mortgages and were quite glamorous.

One of the most beloved of all Severna Park Community Center fundraising events, its friendly neighborhood Spaghetti Dinner, is being brought back for the anniversary. Originally planned for March and cancelled, it will now be held in early November in the center’s Andy Borland Gym.

The fourth and final anniversary event will be a Holiday Open House held on December 6. Yet to be determined time-wise, there will also be a Grand Re-Opening to which the public is invited.

Signs of life for small business retailers at Park Plaza

According to owner Sue Gautier, The Cottage was hoping to hold a sidewalk HOBO Purse Trunk Sale on the sidewalk at Park Plaza last Friday. However, at the last minute, restrictions on sidewalk sales for non-essential businesses were kept intact though county restrictions on curbside pick-up were finally lifted.

Egg-citing news!

Fond of our feathered friends? Comcast Business recently partnered with Severna Park residents and apprentice raptor rehabilitators Mark and Heather Jeweler to deliver a live video feed of a local nesting pair of ospreys. The ospreys have a new addition to the family. One of their three eggs has hatched .

The live video feed of the nest is from a Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)-constructed platform outside Severna Park High School. Join the hatch watch at http://www.severnaparkospreys.com.

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” as the saying goes. But local marinas are hoping the lifting of COVID-19 related boating restrictions on May 5 will result in a rising economic tide.

There is little doubt that marine-based businesses suffered considerably since the ban on recreational boating and sailing imposed by Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on March 23.

Fortunately, there is pent up demand among boaters to get back out on the water according to Atlantic Marina at Ferry Point employee Adrian Meredith.”

“It all broke loose on the Magothy on Mother’s Day weekend. We’re really happy about it,” she said.

Lindsey Smith, from family-owned Smith’s Marina on the Severn River at Crownsville, noted that it took a day or two for boating traffic to build because of windy conditions. However, there were lots of boats on the water on Mother’s Day.

Since being established in 1936 by Alonzo Smith, the historic marina only rarely experienced down times. Like other boatyards, they breathed a sigh of relief when the governor’s ban was lifted.

“As soon as people got the word that they were allowed back out, we had folks down here cleaning their boats, making sure their batteries were charged and other things,” Lindsey said.

On the Severn River’s North Shore, James and Kathy Galli, owners of Severna Park Yacht Basin and affiliated repair facility Absolute Marine Services, were more than pleased to see boaters back in action.

“Boating traffic on the Severn has absolutely picked up and we’re happy,” said Kathy. “When the boating ban was lifted the other day, everybody was like ‘I want my boat, I want my boat.’ Obviously, it will take time to get everyone’s boat unwrapped and back in the water, repaired, commissioned or whatever.”

She added that many people were just not doing anything with their boats and really had no contact with them because they didn’t know about their jobs or just where things were going. Understandably, owners have been cautious about actually putting their boats in the water.

The governor’s Stay At Home order posed a severe hardship on the business because the Galli’s needed “to pay their guys to stay home”. They seriously worried that, if the order lasted much longer, they’d have to close their doors.

Luckily, many people were determined to get back on the water.

“So much boat traffic went out of here on Mother’s Day that it was amazing,” Kathy said.

Clear waters ahead?

Though unable to appear before their memberships, as usual, both the Magothy River Association (MRA)and the Severn River Association (SRA) released their State of the River reports for 2019 online.

Both reports highlighted “clearer than usual waters”, thanks, in part, to the presence of filter feeding “Dark False Mussels” and an abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) that also filters water.

MRA’s State of the River Report showed some encouraging progress. According to president Paul Spadaro, aerial surveillance from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science showed 183.4 acres of submerged aquatic grasses including redhead and milfoil throughout the watershed.

Spadaro attributes the increase in grasses over the last two years to the Dark False Mussels which thrived in fresh water in the river from extended rainfalls. The mussels filter algae and sediments from the water column, resulting in greater clarity and allowing beneficial sunlight to penetrate the depths. Once the aquatic grasses become established, they pump oxygen into their roots, thereby oxygenating sediments and releasing oxygen into the water.

The Magothy River Index, compiled annually by volunteers, registered 43, equating to a C, and higher than the organization has seen in ten years.

Creeks along the Magothy that improved from 2018 included Old Man, North Cypress, Cypress, Dividing, Mill, and the Little Magothy.

The success of the joint MRA, Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards and Berrywood community’s project to restore the headwaters at Cattail Creek was also highlighted.

“The cleanup along the banks and restoration of the stream bed was such a success that Berrywood residents are treating it like a beach,” Spadaro said.

Berrywood resident and MRA member Bob Royer agreed and said it was wonderful to see children once again playing along the creek banks as they’d done in earlier years.

The only jarring note has been the spotting and subsequent netting of a Snakehead fish in Cattail Creek by Dave LaChapelle. It is suspected that a significant number of Yellow Perch egg sacs fell prey to a Snakehead.

Severn River Association’s State of the River Report was presented “virtually” by executive director Thomas Guay to 63 members via a Zoom meeting at 7 pm on April 21. Guay announced that there was good news for swimmers in 2019 with great clarity in the water in the main stem of the river. All beaches along the main stem passed the EPA swimming test 100 percent of the time. They were scored by Operation Clearwater and Anne Arundel County as Green Beaches, meaning testing showed they were under the 104 cfu bacteria count that EPA considers safe.

The Severn River saw an absolute “explosion” of underwater grasses…..more sub-aquatic vegetation than SRA has seen in 20 years – as much as 250 acres. The underwater grasses provide habitat and food for fish, crabs and wildlife and erosion protection for shorelines.

According to Guay, SRA’s volunteer SAV Navy identified abundant Horned Pondweed in spring and Widgeon, Redhead and Sago Pondweed in summer along with non-native, Eurasian Milfoil. They were elated because more SAV meant more crabs and fish.

SRA created a river-wide, 41-station water quality monitoring program. during 2019 with a team of volunteers recording some excellent clarity readings. Mid-river monitoring stations received the best grades of B and B- for clarity with many readings better than 1 meter in the main stem. Little Round Bay scored the best with 2.36 meters.

Sadly, most of the creeks scored poorly, receiving a C, C- and even some D grades due to the influence of storrmwater runoff from impervious surfaces.

In spite of plentiful underwater grasses, the river did suffer from an extended dead zone of low oxygen conditions that lasted most of the summer. The dead zone, that inhabited the bottom half of the water column, grew to be about five square miles in size

SRA’s best news was that its oysters survived two years of low salinity. Though low salinity conditions stunted the growth of oysters raised and planted in 2018 by SRA’s oyster growers team, they survived. 

“Our hope is that they start growing again in 2020 now that salinity has returned to normal levels.” Guay said.

SRA is also working with marinas and other groups to restart the local economy and lift restrictions on recreational boating so we can all appreciate the values of clean water in our waterways. The organization is also promoting Anne Arundel County’s Responsible Boating Initiative to preserve the river’s great swimming conditions by encouraging boaters to use holding tanks and pump-up facilities

Graduation news

On April 28, Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent George Arlotto announced the cancellation of all high school proms. Graduations were not cancelled at that time but Arlotto said most high school administrators were busy planning various ways to host virtual versions of Senior Awards Nights and similar events to honor soon-to-be graduates.  I’ve been unable to ascertain if Severna Park High School’s graduation – originally planned for May 28 at the Event Center at UMBC in Catonsville – will now have a virtual graduation component.

Severn School’s graduation will take place Friday, May 29 at 5:00 pm on the Alumni House Lawn (In the event of inclement weather, graduation will be held in St. John Athletic Center). The ceremony lasts approximately two hours. For information see https://www.severnschool.com.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Following Governor Larry Hogan’s Stay at Home order on March 30, Severna Park’s churches were meeting the challenge of staying connected through online streaming of worship services. Though pleased their congregations stayed home to stay safe from COVID-19, church leaders realize that most members long to return to normal religious activities and are planning accordingly.

A Saturday drive through the neighborhoods revealed eerily empty churches bearing silent witness to the absence of their flocks.

Clever signs point the way back to safe worship at several churches including Severna Park United Methodist Church at 731 Benfield Road. and non-denominational Trinity Bible Church, at 99 Truckhouse Road. Both churches recently celebrated their 50th anniversaries.

While Severna Park UMC, with 2,000 members, streams a number of religious services and activities through its Online Worship Page and virtual coffee breaks through Zoom, Trinity’s small, close-knit congregation is benefiting from similar technology.

Trinity church member Lee Lewis said she and her husband Dale have followed every online worship service, even taking communion at their dining room table. She admits it’s different.

“We miss the fellowship and miss our friends. We know it’s not really ‘about the building’ but miss the special feeling of being in the house of the Lord,” Lewis said.

Pastor Stephen Mitchell described the first time he preached a virtual sermon to an empty church as a distinctly odd experience. Easter Sunday seemed silent and surreal though Trinity church members virtually greeted each other by recording video clips on their phones.

“We’d already been streaming various events for about a year so the adjustment to virtual worship wasn’t too hard and its kept us connected,” Rev. Mitchell said. “We’ll follow the governor’s guidelines and not open till we’re sure we can do it safely. Even then we’ll proceed slowly with live streaming for those who want it. Since I’ve always encouraged everyone to hug one another, it’ll be strange keeping our distance.”

Severna Park Baptist Church and St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal Church have larger memberships but are having similar experiences using online technology to bridge the gap until they can reconnect with their congregations. St. Martin’s pretty church shares a campus with a K-8 school where teachers are currently employing online learning.

Severna Park Evangelical Presbyterian Church at 110 Ritchie Highway has adapted well to streaming a broad range of services and activities.

“We’ve been meeting online since March 15th when the church purchased nine Zoom licenses that allow our adult, youth and children’s Sunday classes to meet virtually,” said executive director Randy Crout.” We also stream virtual Women’s Teas, pastors’ discussions, bible study and youth group meetings and have averaged 510 online visitors.”

“We are currently working on plans anticipating the eventual opening up of society, realizing it will likely be a gradual opening over a period of time and that members may have a wide range of risk tolerances.  As  a result, even when we start meeting again, we’ll maintain our online service, and meetings.”

Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church began as a small chapel overlooking the old Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in 1912. With a membership of 2,000 plus, the church is incredibly active and helpful to the community.

Church members Liz and Doug Pringle have found the online worship services on Livestream particularly good – especially at Easter.

“All of the musical and technical people and ministers worked very hard to present Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services which were very well received. We watched them all,” said Liz. “They decorated the church for each service with different flowers and paraments and all three ministers participated – Rev. Susan DeWyngaert, Rev. Nancy Lincoln Reynolds and Rev. Jacob Snowden.”

She added that people enjoy the online programs the church has presented for over a year. Nevertheless, they’ll be glad to come back to Woods as soon as safely possible.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at the corner of Ritchie Highway and Cypress Creek Road, built in 1959, replaced the congregation’s original home in the building now known as historic Holy Grounds on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. The church was subsequently expanded to house a K-8 school. The COVID-19 church/school closures have meant masses are being Livestreamed daily as well as other programs and students are learning remotely through Zoom classes.

Many of Asbury Town Neck United Methodist Church‘s founding families are still active members of the tight-knit African American congregation including the Jennings, Glenns, Johnsons and Packs. The current church at 429 Asbury Drive replaces the original one built in 1924 and shares its property with the Asbury Church Assistance Network (ACAN) food pantry.

Church administrator Carla Flemings noted that worship services and other programs are streaming and being well received. However, the staff is hearing how much “everyone is missing everyone” and they are actively planning for the reopening of the church when Governor Hogan gives the word.

“This was the first time the doors of our church have ever been closed and our members can’t wait to come back,” she said. “Reopening will be something of a reset for us and we’ll be doing things differently. We’ll revert back from holding one service to holding two services to allow proper distancing. Services will be abbreviated. People will be required to wear masks. Communion will be given using paper cups and the collection will be taken at a box at the entrance. All of that information is being readied to be communicated to our members.”

Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, established in 1958, has served the community well. Located at the back of the church’s 400 Benfield Road property is SPAN, Inc. of which it is one of the founding members. In response to COVID-19, SPAN established an outdoor cupboard stocked with items from its food pantry that people may help themselves to. They’ve also expanded their hours.

Our Shepherd currently streams worship services through Facebook and YouTube and holds worship After Parties” on Zoom.

Wayman Good Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church, also known as Baldwin Good Hope A.M.E. Church was incorporated on January 3, 1885. Located first on Carpenters’ Hill in Round Bay, it relocated to its newly constructed church in, more or less its present location at 100 Hoyle’s Lane in 1907. The church subsequently built a parsonage as well as the school that would become present day Jones Elementary. Construction of the present church was completed in 1984.

Today, like all small churches, Wayman Good Hope AME is streaming virtual worship services through Facebook Live with Pastor Lois A. Poag-Ray.

These are but ten of Severna Park’s dozen-plus churches.. All are doing a fine job of keeping the faith.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

The blossoming flowers surrounding the red and white tents of Diehl’s Produce at the corner of B&A Boulevard and McKinsey Road were a welcome sight for Severna Park residents last weekend.. Inside the tents, additional plants and flowers provided a beautiful backdrop for springtime favorites like Eastern Shore asparagus, strawberries, blueberries and vine-ripened tomatoes. Extra items being stocked for customers’ convenience included eggs and bananas.

For the first time in 49 years, the Diehl family delayed the market’s April 1st opening until April 24th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, they followed state guidelines requiring customers to wear masks and observe social distancing outside and inside. Curbside service is available for those who wish it.

Outside the tents, rows of plants were spaced fairly far apart with plenty of sunshine and fresh air circulating. To facilitate adequate inside spacing , an entrance on one side and exit on the other were designed to control the flow of customers.

Shoppers we met were more than delighted to see one of Severna Park’s most respected independent family businesses back in business albeit in a different way than in years past.

“The opening went great! Everyone seemed very happy to have us back,” said manager Jennifer Diehl. “People were patient and appreciative. We’re carrying more food items than usual for customers’ convenience and that was well received. And of course the plants look great and make everyone smile!”

That was definitely the case with Clea and John Hancock and son Max who explored myriad flowers and plants outside before drifting inside. They picked out some blueberries and were eyeing flats of bronze-tinged coleus before checking out the tomatoes.

“We’ve been driving by Diehl’s every day hoping they’d open,” said John. “Today, we could see the green in the distance as we approached and headed straight for it.”

The Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce was excited to see one of the area’s cornerstone businesses back as well.

“It is fantastic to see Diehl’s and the seasonal farmers markets reopening to bring us fresh and healthy produce,” said executive director Liz League. “They have been staples of the community for years, providing employment, keeping their tax dollars in the community, and supporting agriculture and other small business owners. It also restores some normalcy to see familiar faces and treasured favorite foods.”

Jennifer Diehl’s daughter Madeline reported that curbside service was quite successful. .

“We love getting curbside orders the night before via Facebook messenger so we can pack them in the morning without being rushed or we can do them same day. We message customers with their total when their order is ready,” she said. “They then pull up on the bank side of the parking lot. Some place their check or money in their trunk so we don’t even have to have any physical contact.”

As is their practice, Diehl’s Produce only takes cash or checks. For those that don’t want to accept change, they can round up and donate the balance for families in need. Many of the weekend’s customers donated additional money enabling the market to give out over $100 in gift certificates!

With Southern corn available this week at 60 cents an ear and plenty of local spinach and kale, business will likely remain brisk daily at Diehl’s Produce in Severna Park. And, for those heading south, Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis with Abby Diehl at the helm is open too.

Severna Park Farmer’s Market’s season began Saturday morning

Saturday morning saw the most unusual opening Severna Park Farmer’s Market has experienced in 22 years of operation. Because of COVID-19 guidelines, stands were required to be spaced 12 ft. apart giving the open air market a distinctly different look.

Most of the market’s regular vendors turned out and quickly adapted to wearing masks while serving customers who were also wearing masks. Bob Palmer of Patty’s Garden, whose tasty lettuces. chards and herbs are grown organically on his Eastern Shore farm, sold seedlings and tomato and pepper plants from a table out in the open air.

Pat Hochmuth from Pat’s Produce & Gourds in Delmar ,Maryland brought first of the season strawberries, asparagus, spring onions, lettuces and kale. Joyce Martinek from Joyce’s Flowers & Herbs peddled pretty floral baskets. Ellie Heath of Three Blue Bunnies brought a selection of her colorful hand sewn masks and sold out almost immediately.

Pork from David Haberkorn’s Morris Hill Farms in Tracy’s Landing was popular… as can be imagined. As the season progresses, he’ll carry a wider selection of meats and poultry.

There were tasty snacks from Greer’s Kettle Corn, pickles from The Ville’s Dills, breads and pastries from Vera’s Bakery, essential oils and herbal blends from Mack’s Mixes and wines and spirits from Lyon’s Rum and The Whistle Stop. Lots to please shoppers.

Severna Park Farmer’s Market manager Anita Robertson, who marketed her My Nana’s Kitchen homemade jams and jellies, said setting up the stands and tables and getting rolling was challenging.

“It was a little quieter than we thought it would be but, all in all, we’re pleased with everything,” Robertson said. “Our booths on the Park & Ride lot off Ritchie Highway had to be spaced 12 ft. apart , so we looked less like a village market than usual and weren’t easily recognizable. But now people know we’re here. We’ll be back every Saturday from 8 am till noon as usual with even more vendors.”