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April 10, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

Arts Arts Notes

Easton’s Gallery Walk returns This Friday April 9!

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Easton’s popular Friday Gallery Walk will return this Friday April 9 from 5-7:30 PM with new exhibits opening at The Trippe Gallery, Studio B Gallery and Troika Gallery. The Trippe Gallery will be showcasing  its annual Art of the Garden Show which will have new paintings and photographs on display throughout April and May. Featured Gallery artists will be Nanny Trippe, Nancy Tankersley, Jill Basham, Stephen Haynes, Elise Phillips, Meg Walsh and Hanna MacNaughtan. Troika Gallery will be opening its annual Spring Group Show featuring new work by their gallery artists.
Professional artist and owner Laura Era and gallery manager Peg Fitzgerald welcome your visit to browse the collection. Studio B Art Gallery is happy to announce the opening of their Spring Art Exhibit on Friday. New artwork by all of the gallery’s talented artists will be unveiled during the spring showing. The opening exhibit will include a meet and greet with gallery artist Bernard Dellario and gallery owner/artist Betty Huang.
All galleries are located in the Historic District of downtown Easton and within walking distance of each other: The Trippe-23 N Harrison St, Studio B-7B Goldsborough St., Troika- 9 S. Harrison St.
Due to continued observance of Covid-19 recommendations, no refreshments will be served at the receptions—maybe next month!!!!

Salisbury Poetry Week 2021 is On!

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Eastern Shore Voices is proud to announce the fourth annual Salisbury Poetry Week!  This project would not have been possible without major support provided by The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and MD Humanities. Other significant funding for the Youth Poet Laureate of Wicomico County was provided by the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council, awarded by the Maryland State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Salisbury Poetry Week is a celebration of both the written and spoken word through a series of events open to all free of charge. Poetry is an integral part of our lives from song lyrics to commercials, from scripts to Shakespeare, from love letters to our children’s bedtime stories—poetry is truly at the center of our communicative lives. Not only a communication tool, but a craft that allows for empathy, poetry reaches into our center, highlighting that which is universal in all of us – humanity.

All Salisbury Poetry Week Events will take place on Zoom.  For more information and to register for these events, please visit: https://easternshorewriters.org/

Christopher Salerno

Christopher Salerno, award-winning author, editor, poet, and professor at William Patterson University is our 2021 Poet-in-Residence.  The author of five books of poetry, His forthcoming book, The Man Grave, won the Lexi Rudnitsky Award from Persea Books and will be published in 2021.    

Thursday, April 8 7:30-9 PM:  Join us for the Eastern Shore Voices annual poetry reading in collaboration with Thursdays with ESWA programming!   This year, we will introduce you to the three finalists for Salisbury Youth Poet Laureate, enjoy readings from Eastern Shore poets Wendy Mitman Clarke, Tina Raye Dayton, Christopher T. George, Sharon K. Sheppard, & S. Scott Whitaker, as well as Salisbury Poet Laureate, Nancy Mitchell, and 2021 Salisbury Poet-in-Residence, Christopher Salerno!

Friday, April 9th 7:30 – 9:00 PM:  Drop in on this Salisbury Poetry Week Open Mic Night which has become a slammin’ yearly event!  Kick back and listen or share a poem from the Salisbury Poetry Week Zoom stage!  Signups available in Zoom!  Hosted by special guests, poets Amber Green & Sista Big!

Saturday, April 10

10:00-11:30 AM:  The Eye, the World and the Self: Ecopoetry with JoAnn Balingit

To write poetry is to believe in renewal, invigoration and regeneration. Can poetry heal the world? If the answer is ‘yes,’ then hope lies in each poet’s insistence on cataloging the world, and sharing their details. In this generative poetry workshop, we’ll read & listen to poems by Arthur Sze, Natalie Diaz, Juliana Spahr and Danez Smith to help us consider the possibilities and necessity of ecopoetry. Then, in two writing periods, we’ll respond to prompts in the belief that “Sometimes in gazing afar,/ we locate ourselves.” Optional: bring a photograph of a childhood landscape, plant or being.

1:00-2:30 PM:  Image, Metaphor, and Memory Poetry Workshop with Christopher Salerno

Join Salisbury Poet-in-Residence, author, editor, and William Patterson University Professor, Christopher Salerno for a Salisbury Poetry Week generative poetry workshop which will consider how imagery and metaphor help bring art to memory in developing moving and dynamic poems.

Sunday, April 1th  1:00-2:30 PM

Join the Eastern Shore Writers Association for a powerful discussion group!  We study a well-known poet each month, exploring their work independently, then meet on Zoom for coffee, share our favorite poems by that poet, and discuss their work.  Our April discussion focuses on the work of Salisbury Poet-in-Residence, Christopher Salerno, and will be facilitated by ESWA President, Tara A. Elliott.  A excerpt from Chris’s latest book, The Man Grave, will be sent to all who register.

Talbot Goes Purple Hosts Drug Disposal Events; Prescription Medication Collection is April 24

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Talbot County sheriff’s deputies will collect unused prescription medications from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, at the fire departments in Trappe, St. Michaels and Oxford.

Deputies will have collection sites set up at all three fire departments. Collection includes unwanted medications, vitamins and supplements — vape pens, inhalers, sharps and needles are NOT accepted.

Deterra bags let you safely dispose of medications right at home.

This program is anonymous – no questions asked, no identification required. The sites also will include free educational materials along with free disposal and storage solutions, like Deterra bags, from the Talbot County Health Department (TCHD).

Beth Williams, prevention consultant with TCHD, will provide free, on-site Narcan trainings at the St. Michaels event for the duration, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

April 24 is National Drug Take-Back Day, an annual collection event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA also sponsors a collection event each October; last year’s event saw nearly 500 tons of medications collected across more than 4,500 sites — the most collected in the program’s 10-year history.

Unused or expired prescription medications pose a serious public safety issue — proper disposal helps prevent misuse and abuse and helps save lives.

“Overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental deaths in people younger than 50,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “Many people who start using prescription painkillers recreationally get them from a family member or friend’s medicine cabinet, so proper disposal really makes a difference. Please take advantage of this take back day to keep your family and friends safe!”

Due to the pandemic, masks are required at all collection sites. If you have any symptoms or feel sick, please stay home. You may contact the health department for at-home storage and disposal solutions.

In addition to this year’s take-back day initiative, a permanent, year-round, 24-hour a day, 7-days a week disposal box is located at the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office at 28712 Glebe Road, at the south end of the Talbot County Business Center.

Other disposal locations in the county include the Maryland State Police Barrack at 7503 Ocean Gateway in Easton (24 hour). The drop box at Oxford Police Department at 101 Market St. in Oxford is open by appointment only. The drop box at St. Michaels Police Department is currently closed due to the pandemic.

For more information on National Take-Back Day visit www.takebackday.dea.gov.

An initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary, in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, Saints Peter & Paul School and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot Goes Purple empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse.

More information about Talbot Goes Purple is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find us on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact us at talbotgoespurple@gmail.com.

Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

UM Shore Regional Health Offers COVID-19 Vaccines at Chesapeake College

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Through a partnership between University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) and Chesapeake College, COVID-19 vaccinations will be offered by appointment on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the College’s Eastern Shore Higher Education Center on the Wye Mills campus, beginning Wednesday, April 7.

The vaccines are provided by UM SRH and administered by hospital personnel and volunteers, including nurses, former nurses and pharmacists. At this time, vaccine eligibility for Maryland residents has been expanded to include those in the 2B tier; for details, visit “Vaccine Phases” on this link: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine.

“This really opens the gates to a much broader range of people who can now get vaccinated and help protect themselves, their family members, co-workers and friends from COVID-19,” Kevin Chapple, UM SRH’s regional director of pharmacy services. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to get vaccinated quickly, safely and efficiently, close to home.”

To register for a vaccine appointment at Chesapeake College, visit www.umms.org/coronavirus/covid-vaccine/get-vaccine and follow the instructions to complete the registration form. Vaccine appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first served basis. No walk-ins will be allowed.

“We’re pleased that our partnership with University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is expanding to further care for our community,” said Chesapeake College President Clifford Coppersmith. “In addition to serving as a Covid-19 testing site, our centrally located Wye Mills campus will also be a convenient site for Shore residents to receive Covid-19 vaccinations. Providing a location and support for this vaccination site is another way Chesapeake College is helping the region recover from the pandemic.”

ChoiceOne Urgent Care Sites Rebranded As University of Maryland Urgent Care

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Nine ChoiceOne Urgent Care sites in Baltimore, Caroline, Harford and Talbot counties and Baltimore City are being rebranded as University of Maryland Urgent Care, effective April 1, 2021.  The rebranding comes one year after the ChoiceOne Urgent Care sites were acquired by the University of Maryland Medical System.

Signage at the sites will begin being changed this week to reflect the University of Maryland Urgent Care branding.

“Bringing ChoiceOne Urgent Care centers fully into our medical system will allow UMMS to provide patients with integrated clinical services and a continuous care experience,” said Mohan Suntha, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of UMMS. “Today’s announcement reflects so much more than a name change. Our purposeful and strategic decision to invest in urgent care centers is part of our drive to transform healthcare delivery in the communities we serve across Maryland and connect patients with the care they deserve – where and when they need it.”

In 2020, ChoiceOne’s nine sites cared for more than 100,000 patients, with 96% of these treated for injury and illness; almost half of these patients (46%) were in the 26- to 55-year-old age range.  During the pandemic, through mid-March 2021, ChoiceOne sites also have administered more than 40,000 COVID-19 tests.

“The University of Maryland Medical System has a long history of providing exceptional patient care. We are excited to fully align our centers as part of the UMMS family to offer unified, patient-centered care to the communities we serve,” said Benjamin Rinn, ChoiceOne Urgent Care’s Senior Director of Operations.

The University of Maryland Urgent Care sites will provide opportunities to reduce the total cost of care for patients via a deeper engagement with wellness programs promoting population health initiatives and working with patients to manage issues around social determinants of health.   The urgent care sites will complement existing UMMS services to ensure patients continue to have access to healthcare services at an organization they know and trust.

The urgent care locations include:

Caroline County

  • University of Maryland Urgent Care – Denton (8 Denton Plaza)

Talbot County

  • University of Maryland Urgent Care – Easton (28522-C Marlboro Avenue)

Talbot Health Provides New Guidance for Event Planners

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The Talbot County Health Department has launched a dedicated webpage to ensure large events occurring in Talbot County are conducted in a safe manner and in compliance with the governor’s executive orders.

The new webpage is accessible at bitly.com/talbotcovideventplanning and provides guidance during COVID for organizations and entities planning large events, gatherings, and social activities in Talbot County.

“We are all eager to have normalcy return to our lives, including the events we love in Talbot County,” says Talbot County Health Officer Dr. Maria Maguire. “We’re providing this resource to event planners so that precautions and safety measures are in place as we continue navigating toward the COVID-19 pandemic’s end.”

The webpage includes an online application for event planners to request Talbot County Health Department’s review of their COVID-19 safety plans for indoor and outdoor events, gatherings, and activities in Talbot County.

Organizers are asked to complete the application at least 30 days prior to the start of an event, gathering, or social activity for review and approval by the Talbot County Health Department.

“This new resource will help lower the risk of event staff, attendees, and Talbot residents contracting and spreading COVID-19 during events,” says Dr. Maguire. “This is an additional level of assurance to the public as we move forward as the weather warms, and events are being planned.”

Dr. Maguire says the Health Department’s review of COVID-19 safety plans does not negate the organization’s need to obtain any other governmental approval authorizing the event to occur.

The site provides CDC event guidance links and a list of local municipal and county personnel responsible for providing guidance on conducting events, gatherings, and activities within their jurisdictions.

More information and resources about Talbot County’s response to COVID-19 is at talbotcovid19.org and talbothealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System receives Innovative Excellence Award

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Choptank Community Health System received the Caroline County Chamber of Commerce’s Innovative Excellence for 2020 Best in Business Award at a March 23 drive-in event at Choptank Transport in Preston, Md. This is the second consecutive year Choptank Health has been recognized with the Chamber’s Innovative Excellence award.

Choptank Community Health System has received the Caroline County Chamber of Commerce’s Innovative Excellence Award for the second consecutive year. The peer-nominated award recognizes businesses who have demonstrated innovation through the use of technology, business strategies, and operations. Pictured from left are Choptank Health’s CFO Ben Cottle, Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer Megan Wojtko, CEO Sara Rich, Chief Quality and Compliance Officer Susan Johnson, and Director of Communications Lucie Hughes.

The annual awards recognize outstanding business practices, with awardees nominated by their peers. The Innovative Excellence Award recognizes businesses who have demonstrated innovation with technology, business strategies, and operations.

Choptank Health remained safely open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of telehealth and in the innovation and development of new screening and treatment protocols, as well as new environmental and infection control systems.

Choptank Health worked with the Caroline County emergency operations center over the past year to actively share information and track the initial spread of COVID-19. They were the region’s first health care provider to offer drive-up and curbside COVID-19 testing for Choptank Health patients, and worked in partnership with county government and Caroline County Public Schools to provide community mass testing sites.

“This is a special honor for Choptank to be recognized this year for all the hard work that has been done in the fight against COVID-19,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “It certainly wasn’t an easy year, but our team joined together and demonstrated daily our passion for our mission and our patients.

“It is a pleasure to work with such a committed team, and my thanks go to each Choptank Health team member for everything they have done to make this recognition possible.”

The drive-in event included a take-home meal prepared by Tenchi American Restaurant of Denton, Md. with Choptank Transport hosting and volunteering for the outdoor event.

Other Caroline County Chamber of Commerce 2020 Best in Business Award recipients include the Denton branch of Shore United Bank as Business of the Year; Gelin and Nick Wake as Business Leaders of the Year; Angel Perez as Citizen of the Year; Trevor Nichols as Young Professional of the Year; Shore Gourmet for Innovative Excellence; Seaberry Farm for Excellence in Agriculture; Midshore Technology Services and Mirror Image Premier as Rising Stars; and Caroline Food for Learning as Caroline’s Best Non-Profit.  A video announcement of the award recipients is at bitly.com/chamberwinners2020.

Heads Up for Local Art Groups: Talbot County Arts Council Accepting Grant Applications

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The Talbot County Arts Council invites arts organizations and programs to apply for FY 2022 Community Arts Development Grants to support arts projects and programs. The cutoff date for grant applications is April 30. Grant recipients are notified in June. Applications are evaluated based on the artistic merit of the proposed arts activities, the organization’s perceived ability to carry them out, and how well the program will serve Talbot County residents and guests. “Talbot County has a vibrant, visible community of artists and organizations. The role of the Talbot County Arts Council is to support these groups and contribute to our quality of life,” stated Joan Levy, Executive Director. “Moving forward, we plan to increase our visibility, raise awareness of our programs and encourage participation and partnerships with new groups.”

Because the Arts Council receives more grant requests than can be accommodated, by available resources, it retains the right to accept or reject applications, suggest changes, and support grant requests in full, in part, or not at all. Information is being sent directly to organizations that received support during the past two grant cycles and are in good standing with the Arts Council, completing all the necessary paperwork, including a final report.

As required by the Maryland State Arts Council, local grant awards must be matched on at least a one-for-one basis in cash by the requesting organization. Applicants must be organized as Maryland non-profit corporations with IRS tax-exempt status or be government-related entities such as libraries or parks and recreation departments.

Organizations that would like additional information about Community Arts Development Grants, or assistance with the application procedure, are welcome to contact the Arts Council by phone at 410-245-5195 or email jlevy@talbotarts.org.

WC’s Institute for Religion, Politics Offers Course on Freedom in America this Summer

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WC’s Institute for Religion, Politics and Culture is sponsoring a political science college course on freedom in America this Summer.

This summer college course captivates students through a curriculum grounded on the great thinkers in the American political tradition. Topics include the principles informing the American Revolution and the constitutional founding, the eradication of slavery, the defeat of European fascism, the Civil Rights Movement, the victory over Soviet communism, and debates surrounding the meaning and nature of freedom in America today.

Adding to the compelling subject matter, the course provides a set of distinctive guest speakers from academia, government, and nationally and internationally prominent think tanks. The course is open for enrollment by those seeking college credit across the region, state, country, and world. This four credit Washington College Political Science course transfers to colleges and universities worldwide. College students, high school students, and adult learners are eligible to enroll for full credit.

The course runs from May 26 through June 23. For more information please contact, Joseph Prud’homme, Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at Washington College at jprudhomme2@washcoll.edu

Delmarva Community Services Hires Andy Hollis As New Deputy Director

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Dr. Santo Grande, Ed. D, President and CEO of Delmarva Community Services (DCS), the Mid-Shore’s nonprofit public transportation organization, has announced the appointment of Andy Hollis as Deputy Director for the organization, effective January 4, 2021. 

Mr. Hollis most recently served as County Manager in Talbot County, a position he held for over 17 years until retiring to serve the community with a more active role in a non-profit organization.   In this leadership position, Mr. Hollis will be assisting Dr. Grande with day-to-day operations, strategic initiatives, and the development of the Chesapeake Grove Project.  “The opportunity to transition to a non-profit organization is one that I have given much thought to recently. I recognize my growing desire to help those who, through no fault of their own, need assistance.  DCS fits that bill for me, and more, because for over 40 years they have stepped up and met the call to provide for others.  I am blessed to spend the next chapter of my professional life with such amazing people and such a special organization.”  

The focal point of the Chesapeake Grove community is the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Intergenerational Center. The facility will offer state-of-the-art senior and intergenerational services to the region and is the first of its kind on the Eastern Shore. The center will provide services designed to enhance the lives of adults and children through shared experiences within the 50,000 square foot facility and among the wider community.  

The center’s concept was inspired during a visit by Dr. Grande to St. Anne’s Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Sister Edna Lonergan, President, and her staff work to meet residents’ psychological, social and physical needs, through an extensive array of services and facilities. After a discussion with the president of the center, Dr. Grande decided to use the Wisconsin site as a model for Chesapeake Grove.  

Dr. Grande states,”The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Intergenerational Center will bring several services under one roof, but in a space designed specifically to address modern expectations for community services and facilities. Most importantly will be the genuine interactions among seniors, individuals with disabilities and children.  The St. Anne’s Center has proven that this model works and how mutually therapeutic/beneficial this type of shared community space can be among the wider community when combined with programming.”

In addition to the intergenerational center, the Chesapeake Grove community will include housing for seniors.  These apartments will provide residents immediate access to the services and facilities within the Intergenerational Center and will have easy access to the multi-county Delmarva Community Transit network.  At this time 61 units of housing are in the development phase. 

The intergenerational center is planned for completion in July of this year.  As such, Delmarva Community Services continues to encourage contributions to support the planned Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Intergenerational Center.  Mr. Hollis, in his new role encourages donations to this worthy cause. He states ” Delmarva Community Services, and particularly Santo Grande, are unsung heroes on the shore.  The work they do for the less fortunate and the elderly in our community is admirable and so desperately needed. A donation to the new intergenerational center will further those efforts and be a worthy investment in the wellbeing of our friends and neighbors.

Please reach out to us at 410-221-1900 or andy@dcsdct.org.  for more information or to arrange a tour of the project.”