Avon-Dixon Agency, a member of Shore Bancshares community of companies, is proud to recognize Joann Duvall for 35 years of dedicated service to the company. Joann began her career with Avon-Dixon Agency in 1983 as a claims manger. Throughout the years, Ms. Duvall has served customers in various positions, including customer service representative, commercial lines supervisor and office manager. Currently Ms. Duvall is the Training Manager where she trains employees on the software programs and the processes of the insurance industry. Ms. Duvall is licensed in Property and Casualty Insurance and has obtained designations to be a Certified Insurance Service Representative and a Certified Insurance Counselor.

“Joann brings so many different skills and talents to our team. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge that she has gained over the years while working in the industry. Her leadership style makes her a great asset to our team who benefit from her guidance”, says Lee Ann Shortall, Operations Manager of Avon-Dixon.

For more information about Avon-Dixon Agency, visit AvonDixon.com

Delmarva Power reminds customers of important energy assistance available through the federally-funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help meet their energy needs. Up to $1,000 in grant support per customer is available, depending on a household’s income, size and type of fuel, with no pay back required.

“We are committed to helping our customers manage their energy needs,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “Every day, our employees are in the communities we serve raising awareness about these important energy assistance opportunities and providing customers with the tips and resources they need to save money and energy. Over the last 12 months, these efforts have helped more than 35,000 customers secure nearly $17 million in energy assistance.”

Delmarva Power customers in Delaware can take advantage of LIHEAP until March 31, 2019, by applying through their local Catholic Charities office or online at the Division of Health and Social Services website.

In Maryland, customers can apply for LIHEAP energy assistance until June 30, 2019, through the Department of Human Services website, by visiting a Local Energy Assistance Office, or by calling the Office of Home Energy Programs at 1-800-332-6347.

Each state has determined eligibility guidelines based on household size and income. To be eligible for a grant, a customer’s annual household income cannot exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines in Delaware or 175 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines in Maryland. Homeowners, renters, roomers and subsidized housing tenants may be eligible for the program. Customers do not have to be behind on their bills to receive a grant.

Delaware’s maximum monthly household income eligibility requirements are as follows:

– $2,028 – One-person household
– $2,750 – Two-person household
– $3,471 – Three-person household
– $4,193 – Four-person household

Maryland’s maximum monthly household income eligibility requirements are as follows:

– $1,770 – One-person household
– $2,400 – Two-person household
– $3,030 – Three-person household
– $3,660 – Four-person household

In addition to LIHEAP, there are many other programs and tips available to help Delmarva Power customers save money and manage their energy service. Customers can sign up for My Account, which contains tools and detailed energy usage information. By tracking their energy use, comparing usage trends, and discovering the results of energy-saving practices, customers can manage their energy more efficiently. Customers can visit delmarva.com to learn more about My Account, available energy assistance programs, and other ways to save money and energy.

Delmarva Power will work with customers who may have difficulty paying their energy bill. The company offers payment options, like budget billing, which averages payments over a 12-month period to help customers manage their monthly energy bill, or flexible payment arrangements that offer individually tailored payment installment plans. Customers who may be struggling to make a payment should contact Delmarva Power as soon as possible at 1-800-375-7117.

To learn more about Delmarva Power, visit The Source, Delmarva Power’s online news room. Find additional information by visiting delmarva.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/delmarvapower and on Twitter at twitter.com/delmarvaconnect. Delmarva Power’s mobile app is available at delmarva.com/mobileapp.

About Delmarva Power: Delmarva Power, a public utility owned by Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), provides safe and reliable energy to more than 520,000 electric delivery customers in Delaware and Maryland and approximately 132,000 natural gas delivery customers in northern Delaware.

Easton Velocity, a service of Easton Utilities is embarking on a system-wide technology upgrade to improve the infrastructure that delivers high-speed internet to current customers. The upgrade will offer increased speeds of up to one gigabit (down), 100 Mb (up), improved reliability, and the capacity to support next generation services. “We are excited to bring this level of service to our customers in Easton who expect quick and seamless connectivity,” stated Ted L. Book, Director of Easton Velocity.

Construction is expected to begin in early September and will last approximately two years for full completion. The project plan focuses on work by specific locations to ensure the least amount of disturbance for residences, businesses and traffic.  “We are asking for patience and understanding from our customers and all residents of our community so we can deliver the services they are demanding,” added Book. More details will be forthcoming as Easton Velocity is committed to keeping people informed and are constructing a page on their website at eastonvelocity.com with real-time information.

“This significant investment and dedication of resources will ensure Easton has extremely fast internet which is crucial for quality of life and economic development,” said Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities. The award-winning Town of Easton supports a variety of businesses, arts, culture, excellent dining experiences, a busy airport, access to large metropolitan areas, great health care, and a unique quality of life overall.

Easton Velocity, a service of Easton Utilities, is committed to keeping our community connected and current with a variety of service offerings designed to meet the needs of both residential and commercial customers. Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Please visit www.eastonvelocity.com or call 410-822-6110 to learn more.

National Bohemian Beer Company today announced the rollout of its second annual summer Tabs for Crabs program, in which of-age consumers across the Mid-Atlantic can collect and return their National Bohemian beer tabs for a cause. For each red,crab-etched can tab that is collected and returned before October 1, National Bohemian will donate 10 cents to The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s® local blue crab research and habitat restoration efforts, with a total maximum donation goal of $10,000.

The National Bohemian Tabs for Crabs program is underway in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Consumers are encouraged to save their red etched tabs found on 12oz. and 16oz. National Bohemian beer cans throughout the summer, or to start a community collection at their favorite local establishment where Natty Boh is sold. Collected tabs can be mailed or dropped off locally to National Bohemian Tabs for Crabs, 3600 O’Donnell Street, Suite 185, Baltimore, MD 21122 by October 1.

“The response we received from the 2017 inaugural Tabs for Crabs program was truly a testament to the importance of our Bay lifestyle,” said C-Mo Molloy, National Bohemian brand manager and Baltimore native. “We knew this would be a great partnership, but what blew us away was the overwhelming response of 85,000 Tabs for Crabs collected in the first year. We generated a whirlwind of buzz this spring around the launch of our new beer, National Bohemian Crab Shack Shandy, so we are hoping to harness that excitement to drive increased awareness and continue to give back to this beautiful place we call home,” added Molloy.

“Given the importance of a healthy Chesapeake Bay to our environment and regional economy, we are grateful that National Bohemian has stepped up as a leader in the community,” said Taryn Dwan of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation®. “Partnerships such as this allow us to promote our common mission and work to engage new audiences in the fight to Save the Bay.”

For more information, please visit NationalBohemian.com.

About National Bohemian Beer Company

National Bohemian Beer was first brewed in Baltimore, MD in 1885. Known by locals as “Natty Boh” this crisp, refreshing, & easy-to-drink American Lager inspires a lifestyle of true happiness when we choose to Live Pleasantly. Mr. Boh, the one-eyed, mustachioed face of the brand is recognized as the affable icon of fun & simple moments of joy around the Chesapeake Bay region. Supporting hometown sports and numerous local non-profits, Natty Boh is a staple of the local community in the Mid-Atlantic. Most recently, National Bohemian successfully launched its first new beer in over 30 years, a summer seasonal called Crab Shack Shandy that garnered 16M impressions during its first 14 weeks in market. To learn more, please visit NationalBohemian.com.

About Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Founded in 1967, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest independent conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Bay. Serving as a watchdog, CBF fights for effective, science-based solutions to the pollution degrading the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. To learn more, please visit cbf.org.

Shaw’s Heating, Air & Plumbing was recently recognized by HVACR Business, a leading industry publication, for their rebrand and fleet vehicle appearance. The recognition comes as part of a Tops in Truck Fleet Design Contest to which Shaw’s placed Runner Up.

The Tops in Truck Fleet Design Contest is an annual competition by the magazine for 10 years that highlights the efforts of HVAC companies for their fleet vehicles branding value. Shaw’s competed against several companies from around the country to earn this acknowledgement.

“When we decided to do this rebrand, we wanted to build it around being a local company,” says David Shaw, owner of Shaw’s. “And what better than to focus on the Chesapeake Bay and crabs.”

The Shaw’s design features color elements meant to highlight the soft, natural beauty of the bay and “Keeper the Crab”, the new crab mascot seen with wrench in hand, on Shaw’s fleet vehicles.

“We are very proud of the design work and to have it be recognized nationally is an honor, ” continues David Shaw. “Everything about this rebrand and recognition has created a morale boost amongst the company. We are taking positive steps in the right direction for our employees and our customers.”

For over 30 years, Shaw’s Heating, Air & Plumbing has provided top quality customer service to its customers throughout the Mid-Shore. For more information about Shaw’s, visit www.shawsair.com or call 410-745-9338.

Beginning in Fall 2018, an innovative oyster aquaculture incubator at Phillips Wharf Environmental Center on Tilghman Island will serve as a national model for traditional working waterfront communities seeking to strengthen the local economy.  With support from a $95,000 grant from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this new incubator will build an industry workforce on Maryland’s Eastern Shore using hands-on training on the Phillips Wharf oyster farm to teach watermen how to add aquaculture revenues to their existing businesses or transition to aquaculture entirely.

Phillips Wharf is one of seven organizations nationwide chosen out of 65 applicants for this highly competitive grant support.

To meet growing demand for seafood, aquaculture technology is making possible increased food production, restored habitat and replenished wild stocks, and rebuilt populations of threatened and endangered species. By providing a pathway for traditional seafood harvesters to move into aquaculture, the ASMFC grant will support infrastructure upgrades to Phillips Wharf oyster farm for training generations of future aquaculture practitioners.  Phillips Wharf will serve as a regional incubator where watermen can learn the technical and business elements of surface, cage and bottom shellfish culture and transition into a viable, sustainable and environmentally green industry.  This new program will improve the ecosystem through additional filtration and nitrogen removal while helping the region’s existing watermen bring direct economic returns to their coastal communities.

Aquaculture trainee Stacy Helgason sorting oysters on the farm.

“We are delighted to receive this prestigious grant,” Phillips Wharf Environmental Center Executive Director Kelley Cox said.  “Recognizing that the community of Tilghman Island, like many others, is slowly losing its native population and maritime culture, we sought this funding to help watermen meet the increasing challenge of earning a reasonable living without harming the complex ecosystem in which they work.”

Given the complexities of federal grants, in order to start the project, Phillips Wharf must raise $95,000 in unrestricted funds by the end of August to start the project.  “We hope our friends will recognize the value of this program and join us by providing financial support to meet this challenge,” added Cox, a biologist whose family can be traced in Eastern Shore history to the 1600s.

Participants will be recruited through county oyster committees, local and state watermen’s associations and by seafood dealers. Once graduated from the program, participants can continue to use Phillips Wharf’s equipment at a reduced cost until they can purchase their own. Phillips Wharf is also prepared to purchase oysters for resale from program graduates, reducing the marketing and sales efforts needed for participants’ start-up operations.

Additional support may include sub-leasing space from the Phillips Wharf oyster farm, and Phillips Wharf will also work with some students to help them connect with job opportunities if they choose not to start their own aquaculture business.

Phillips Wharf was founded on Tilghman Island in 2006.   A traditional fishing community located at the tip of a 20-mile peninsula reaching out into the center of the Chesapeake Bay from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, like other traditional fishing villages across the Atlantic seaboard, Tilghman Island faces pressure from diminishing seafood stocks, development, and loss of fishing industry jobs.  The median income for a family on Tilghman Island in 2010 was $38,304 compared to the Maryland average of $68,854 (US Census.)

In 2014, Phillips Wharf purchased “the Oyster House” – a historic property at Knapp’s Narrows that has been a focal point for the seafood industry for over a century and is part of the island’s maritime heritage on the island’s working waterfront. Now part of Phillips Wharf, the Oyster House is an economic driver on Tilghman Island, encouraging tourism, supporting the working waterfront and educating residents and visitors about protecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Just last year with donor support, Phillips Wharf purchased an existing oyster farm consisting of five acres of leased bottom in the Choptank River with oysters ready to harvest, an on-site nursery adequate to grow out oyster larvae to supply the farm and to sell, two boats, and a facility for post-harvest cleaning, grading, washing and packaging with refrigeration for aggregation. This revenue generating operation will sustain Phillips Wharf’s youth education programs.an additional 10 acres pending approval in nearby Harris Creek (a tributary of the Choptank River) will triple the size of Phillips Wharf’s oyster operation and support even more future Aquaculturists-in-training. By siting the aquaculture farms in the Harris Creek restoration sanctuary, watermen can reap immediate economic gains from an area designed to provide benefits over a longer time horizon. The oyster sanctuaries are designed in such a way as to export larvae to other areas in the Bay to support wild harvest.

Phillips Wharf is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering hands-on education for children and adults, a “Fishmobile” marine science outreach program that reaches tens of thousands of children in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia each year, a citizen-based oyster restoration program and most recently, an aquaculture training program designed to help working watermen incorporate sustainable aquaculture practices to supplement their traditional wild seafood harvest operations.

Carol Burke, Carol Krasnowiecki and Mary Harrison (not shown) celebrate ten years as Antiques on Talbot. The quaint shop located at 211 N Talbot St in St Michaels is recognized by the blue canoe in front and has become a popular shopping venue for visitors and locals alike who are searching for quality antiques as well as unique collectibles. The selection includes a wide variety of oyster plates and cans, decoys, sterling, crystal, nauticals, estate/costume jewelry, tools, furniture, shabby chic and much more.

Joining the fine dealers at Antiques on Talbot this month are Sally Campbell, formerly of Tandem Antiques, and returning dealer Ron Lippincott.  Their expertise for Americana and nautical collectibles is recognized throughout the Eastern Shore and beyond.

It has been a fun ten years of sharing treasures with a wonderful clientele. “Carol, Carol and Mary” are looking forward to the next decade.