AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
Cool breezes wafted through the gardens, greenhouse and showroom at Homestead Gardens Severna Park as representatives from 15 wineries and 18 restaurants set up for the 4th annual “Corks for a Cause” benefit for the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation on June 14th.
Completing preparations at the registration table prior to the opening of the event, BWMC Foundation volunteers Iskra Jones, Susan Iaquinta, Jamie Van Allen, and Rebecca Karner were ready to welcome guests the moment the doors opened at 6 pm.
The weather gods smiled, and the evening couldn’t have been more beautiful as distributors set up their displays along Winery Row. Among them were representatives from the Duckhorn Portfolio, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Treasury Wine Estates and McPrice Myers among others. We checked out a few.
We noted that the names of wines from The Duckhorn Portfolio seemed to be waterfowl-based. Representative Lynn Apple wielded a corkscrew to open a bottle of Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc as she reeled off the names of the California company’s other varietals.
“I’ll be pouring Decoy Ltd. Chardonnay, Decoy Pinot Noir, Decoy Ltd. Red Blend, and Decoy Ltd. Cabernet Sauvignon this evening,” she said.
The selection of wines offered by Matt O’Neill from McPrice Myers Vineyards, located in Paso Robles, California, also caught our eye because of their unusual names. The bottles lined up on the table contained well-known varieties like Zinfandel, Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon but were instead named Pound for Pound, Right Hand Man, High on the Hog and Bull by the Horns, among others.
O’Neill described the uniquely named varieties as “hard working wines” but was also pouring a varietal from the Paso Robles appellation called Beautiful Earth.
We found Katrina Kirk, from J. Lohr Vineyards, pouring wines from vineyards in Paso Robles too, along with other Coastal California wines.
Lisa Kurtz from Treasury Wine Estates was tipping her hat to wines from Australia and New Zealand. (Treasury Wine Estates has offices in California.)
Almost a dozen other wineries were dotted throughout Homestead’s gardens. Seen from a distance, wine consultant Ginny Murphy from Monsieur Touton Selection, Ltd. was opening bottles at Table 10 with just minutes to spare. She still had table decorations to complete. Luckily, by 6 pm, a floral tablecloth and clusters of grapes made a fitting backdrop for her well-chilled bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, and a trio of reds.
Behind Murphy, Connie Shillman and Jackie Polis had set up their display of 91 and 92 tasting point reds and whites and were listening to the tropical sounds and rhythms of steel drums nearby.
In the greenhouse, Baltimore Washington Medical Center volunteers at two tables were arranging the foods they were about to serve.
At the first table, Jen Bonk was taste testing the Vegetable Tiki’s with dill dipping sauce donated by caterer Be My Guest and being offered by volunteers Samantha Parlaman and Syeza Aziz. Bonk is chair of New Generation Group, an organization of BWMC professionals that was a Corks for a Cause sponsor.
“One hundred percent of ticket sales go to New Generation and will be dedicated to cleaning up and upgrading the BWMC Healing Garden located behind the Tate Cancer Center,” Bonk said. “The already existing garden needs a facelift. We feel it’s an important feature for the well-being of patients and their families.”
At BWMC’s second table, Nurse Manager Kim Warner and Respiratory Therapist Michelle Mullen (seen in the opening photo) were getting ready to serve Shepherd’s Pie donated by Brian Boru.
So many restaurants participated in Corks for a Cause this year that it’s impossible to highlight them all, but we touched many bases.
In the store proper, the doors opened at 6 pm and guests surged forward. At a three-station table on the far right, Leonard Stepheon from Chapel’s Country Creamery in Easton began serving samples of handcrafted artisan cheeses. Next to him, attendees found ultra-premium charcuterie and salamis from Mitchell Berliner’s Hyattsville-based Meat Crafters impossible to resist. The crowd had yet to reach table’s end where Pam Meador from Fishpaws Marketplace stood ready with samplings of an aged Gouda called Kanal from Holland and crostini with a Provolone and Chianti spread.
In addition to being a sponsor of the event, Fishpaws was involved in organizing the wineries and owner Kim Lawson and general manager Terri Schroeter were seen zipping from table to table to make sure things were going well.
Fishpaws Marketplace would also serve as the official pickup point for any wines ordered.
“We have 15 tables selling five wines each and attendees can purchase wines by the half case or case,” Schroeter explained. “The cases will then be shipped to us by the distributors for pickup by the purchasers.”
Within moments of opening, Winery Row was overwhelmed by patrons bearing gift bags and tasting glasses.
Within moments of opening the doors, Winery Row was filled with eager wine tasters. 
Between tastings and socializing, several areas of the garden were getting crowded.
Indoors proved quite the culinary adventure, with so many choices to tempt the tastebuds.
Carrol’s Creek Cafe got an A+ for the beautiful presentation of its tasty Rock Shrimp Gazpacho – just the thing for a summer evening.
Multi-year participant, Cafe Mezzanotte owner Tommie Koukoulis and catering director Vikki Green had several dishes simmering including hot Italian sausage and fennel meatballs.
This year’s Corks for a Cause event drew restaurants from near and far. The nearest and newest was Garten in Severna Park with a spinach and sauerkraut dip. Further afield, Hella’s in Millersville served miniature crabcakes while The Hideaway from Odenton had sliders. Columbia, Maryland-based Madrid Spanish Taverna’s Julio Koh served Paella and Squire’s Italian Restaurant from Dundalk did an amazing job preparing pizzas amidst succulents in a corner of the greenhouse.
Julio Koh from Madrid Spanish Tavern in Columbia offered Paella…. 
….while Squire’s Italian Restaurant from Dundalk created pizza’s amidst greenhouse succulents.
Corks for a Cause is such a convivial event that even vendors manning the tables have a great time. Warren Brock, who’s on the Next Generation board, was chatting with guests while minding the Nothing Bundt Cakes table where cupcakes were king. However, he’d been eyeing the Goat Cheese Stuffed Grape Tomatoes served by event coordinator Megann Cross at the Smashing Grapes’ table while she’d developed a hankering for his cupcakes. It seemed only natural for them to make a swap.
Just about every vendor who’d attended the BWMC Foundation benefit previously commented on how much the event had grown. The total amount of money raised through ticket sales, a percentage of wine sales and silent auction sales were not yet available, but it is generally agreed that the fourth annual Corks for a Cause benefitting the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Healing Garden was quite a success. The funds will allow the Next Generation Group to replace the ground lighting with LED lights, replace aging wooden benches, install new plantings, apply paint where needed and expand programs for patients and visitors.
Woods Church congregation to celebrate member Charlie Phelps’s 105th birthday
We recently learned from Woods Counselling & Care Center coordinator Nancy Sullivan that Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church will honor member Charlie Phelps’ 105th birthday this Sunday, June 25th during worship and at a reception that follows.
A longtime friend of Phelps, Nancy Sullivan was kind enough to share some of her memories of him with us. We also spoke with his daughter Susan.
Charlie Phelps was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on June 27, 1918. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and met his wife Helen while stationed at an air base in Georgia. The couple had four children, Charlotte, Susan, Charles and Carol.
After the war, Charlie and his brother Alvin established The Phelps Brothers tree removal and clearing company. They received a contract to help clear the area for construction of the Baltimore Beltway.
Daughter Susan recalls that the brothers also cleared the land for the Capital Beltway and for I-70.
While involved with the Baltimore Beltway project, Charlie and Helen bought a home in the newly-built West Severna Park. He Still lives there with daughter Susan who moved in with him 10 years ago. (Helen died in 2008).
After his retirement in 1963, Charlie and two friends formed the Retired Handmen’s Breakfast Society (REHABS) at Woods Church, a talented group of volunteer carpenters, electricians, plumbers and painters who for 20 years have given thousands of hours of invaluable labor to keep Woods Church in fine repair.
REHABS meet on Thursday mornings, cook breakfast in the church kitchen and work until afternoon when Kitchen Coordinator, Carolyn Watkins, serves lunch.
According to Sullivan, Phelps didn’t miss a Sunday of worship until he stopped driving at 103. In honor of his 104th birthday, Woods named the large maintenance building on the campus “The Phelps Workshop.”
According to his daughter, Charlie attributes his longevity to work, staying active, and healthy food with little sugar and few carbs.
His advice to all is “Be as good as you can.” Among his favorite things to do is to sit by the water at the West Severna Park Beach (where a sign hangs in his honor for his many years of maintenance of the beach property) and play with his great grandchildren.
Langton Green produce now available
A quick reminder that Langton Green is having sales of freshly picked produce grown in its fields every Saturday this summer from 10 am till 2 pm. We’ll have more details soon.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
