AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
Looking down on the parking lot and grounds of the Severna Park Community Center where the much-anticipated Fall Festival was in full swing, we were immediately drawn to an impromptu hula hoop contest near the building’s main entrance.
An important swim meet was simultaneously taking place in the community center’s indoor pool, so we weren’t surprised to see some swimmers taking part between competitions.
Along the same side of the parking lot, there were a number of tables dressed in checkered tablecloths in autumn hues that were occupied by attendees decorating their own pumpkins. (Among them were Naisby and Eric Camponeshi and baby daughter Margaret and Tabitha and Knox Crum with son Chris who are seen in the opening photo.)
Crossing the parking lot, we met community center executive director Sarah Elder who told us the Fall Festival was made possible by sponsors KMA Law Offices and the Jean Andrews & Christine Joyce Team of Long & Foster Real Estate. She was pleased with how things were going.
“It’s a perfectly beautiful day for the Festival,” she said. “We have the Hotdog Hideout Food Truck here and several outdoor vendors. We also have indoor vendors in both the community center and in Boone Station Hall. In addition to a performance by the Dance Center of Severna Park’s Star Elite Dancers, we have Twinkle Toes doing balloon animals and we’re holding a hippity hop contest. There are raffle tickets available to win a large wheeled Yeti filled with beverages from Fishpaw’s MarketPlace. Most astonishing, we had 100 pumpkins to decorate, and they were gone with an hour.”
We did indeed notice the Hotdog Hideout Food Truck and bright red tent containing every condiment a hot dog lover could wish for.
While visiting the outdoor vendors, we ran into a few familiar faces we knew from the Severna Park Farmers Market. It was fun to see market regulars Ashley Gibbs, son Logan, daughter Everly and husband Chris from Evie & Park. The family was selling the cleverly designed handcrafted candles they are known for.
Equally familiar to us from the farmer’s market was Amy Heath from Hip, Mod Vintage who was showing a tray of beautifully repurposed vintage rings, including one with a rare purple turquoise gemstone, to customer Sheila Berar. Heath was also selling trendy, repurposed jeans jackets and other items made by her designer daughter Ellie who also owns Three Blue Bunnies. Just minutes later, Mickaela McRae and daughter Rosalyn were examining rings in the same tray shown to Berar.
The final vendor we visited outdoors was Darrin Enlow’s Turtles and Tides which primarily featured casual wear, much of it with a surfside theme that was appealing to teens.
For new vendor Darrin Enlow from Turtles and Tides, SPCC’s Fall Festival was the perfect spot. 
Enlow, seated, said the Turtles and Tides tent was busy all afternoon.
The indoor vendors inside the community center ranged from those selling warmers, magnets or medicines to sweet treats like those from Buttercream by Chrissy being sold by Chrissy Venditti’s cottage food bakery run from her very own kitchen.
The indoor space at the community center held vendors with a range of products. 
Among them were baker Chrissy Venditti and daughter Isabel selling brownies, cupcakes and cookies.
The vendor space at Boone Station Hall was set up similarly with a range of products being sold. Just inside the door, CW Pies owner Natalie Ogilvie Watkins posted a welcome sign. Though small, the mini tarts she offered mimicked full-sized fruit filled pies with latticed toppings. Elsewhere products ranged from glassware to bird houses.
Baker Natalie Ogilvie Watkins’ CW Pies welcome sign was a nice touch at Boone Station Hall. 
Again, the vendors were displaying a range of products.
Performances by Joe Gromsic and Scott Voorhees were icing on the cake for the event.
Severna Park Community Center’s Fall Festival was lovely but there is more to come. A Trunk or Treat event is planned for later.
Wellness Business Connections Group meeting ever so social at The Social
We’ll confess that hearing Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce CEO Liz League talk about the organization’s Wellness Business Connections Group roused our curiosity. So we ventured to The Social at Magothy Gateway Shopping Center. We’d heard the meetings, held from 4:30 to 6 pm, were casual with members coming and going as their schedules demanded.
We arrived early and found the first five members already seated and engaged in cordial conversation at a long table. They included Lisa Manning from Trillium Wellness, Amy Smith from Be Balanced Natural Weight Loss Centers, Carrie Chojnowski from Thrive 4 Life Holistic Health, Joan Huke who’s a Senior Director for LegalShield, Courtney Capece from Committed Change Health & Wellness and Jill Weissenbach from Higgins & Friends Pet Sitting. Before long, Nancy Greer from Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi drifted in while Joan Huke temporarily left for a phone conference.
From her seat next to Weissenbach, Manning would lead the meeting, but the first few minutes were given over to socializing.
Manning mentioned that Wellness Business Connections is one of the chamber networking groups formed by a collaboration of health-related companies prior to the COVID outbreak and originally had about 40 members.
“We all came together because we wanted to facilitate using complimentary natural medicines along with regular Western medicines,” she said. “Unfortunately, the pandemic saw membership numbers shrink but, luckily, they have rebounded to about half that number.
Carrie Chojnowski, Amy Smith and Courtney Capece had a great time catching up with each other and trading information about their closely related businesses. Carrie and Amy especially enjoyed hearing about Courtney’s recent appearance as a runway model during the Bohemian Black Festival.
A waiter came by to take food or drink orders just as Huke rejoined the table. Then Manning called the meeting to order and gave each member a chance to call attention to their particular services.
Smith spoke first noting that Be Balanced helps men and women who are fighting hormonal changes balance their weight. Chojnowski said she is a holistic practitioner and a certified health coach for Thrive 4 Life. She is particularly skilled at helping people with their gut health which is the root of a lot of obesity and health issues.
Huke spoke next about her position with 51-year-old company LegalShield which offers families and businesses access to top law firms throughout the country 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Among the services for which they are most noted are wills and living wills and, particularly important in today’s world, regular or medical identity theft. She noted that their work also focuses on other health-related issues including accident injuries.
Capece described herself as a certified integrated nutritional health and wellness coach for Committed Change. She said her work is similar to Chojnowski’s but she is focused primarly on parents or caregivers who are stressed and overwhelmed by their every-day duties.
Some people, in what she refers to as “the sandwich generation”, are raising children while caring for parents and have literally no time left to take care of themselves. They are susceptible to feelings of guilt or isolation and weight gain or illness. She finds ways for them to slow down and do something important to them. She’ll also occasionally refer then to Smith or Chojnowski and vice versa.
Weissenbach emphasized that her link to the wellness group relates to the health of the animals Higgins & Friends cares for.
“I kind of take care of a lot of special needs animals so I identify with these folks,” she said. “I’m a vet tech and I specialize in cats, some of which are sick or have kidney issues.”
Manning and Trillium Wellness partner Carol Heckman bring different skill sets to the art and science of healing. Manning is a craniosacral therapy and biofeedback specialist while Heckman, an RN for 30 years, provides integrative nourishment to balance the body. They are focused on bringing relief to patients who are emotionally overwhelmed.
Nancy Greer, owner of Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi was one of the first businesses to join the Wellness Business Connections Group. Thanks to Greer, the benefits of the institute’s martial arts programs were well known to the group.
She notes thatTai chi is widely known to build bone density, reduce stress and alleviates symptoms of arthritis. A myriad of other health benefits includes improving balance which is particularly important for seniors.
However, Greer also wanted to invite the members to join Jing Ying students on Sunday, October 22 as they “Kick Alzheimer’s to the Curb” by participating in the Walk To End Alzheimers at Sandy Point State Park.
“My mother died of Alzheimer’s and the day following her funeral, our team participated in the Walk and was a top team fundraiser,” Greer said.
To see more details, make a donation, or join the team visit Best Martial Arts Program in Annapolis, Severna Park (jingying.org).
Smith had to leave the meeting early but just then Joy Cortina from the Life of Joy Foundation joined the group. After greeting everyone, she told them about the “Songs of Hope Benefit for Suicide Prevention & Holistic Mental Health planned for Saturday, November 11th at The Church At Severn Run at 6 pm. For details, see Life of Joy Foundation, Inc.
As we left the meeting, the women were still enjoying each other’s company. For more information about the businesses in the Wellness Business Connections Group, visit Wellness Business Connections | Facebook.
Save the date for SHOPTOBERFEST Trick or Treat with a Twist at new location Oct 21st
The Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual SHOPTOBERFEST Trick or Treat with a Twist event from 11 am to 3 pm on Saturday, October 21st but at a new location this year. Well sponsored this year, we understand it will be held at the Severna Park Racquetball Club & Fitness Club in Millersville. We’ll have more details next week.
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 now offering a homeschool Kung Fu class and 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.
