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Cybercrime is Another Epidemic Talbot County Needs to Worry About

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Almost every resident of Talbot County knows there is a significant and dangerous epidemic threatening the region. The arrival of COVID-19 on the Eastern Shore has already done considerable damage to both families and businesses, and only through a conscious effort to protect one’s home or store can this severe pandemic be controlled.

But Fred Christie, Easton Utilities’ Chief Information Officer, wants to add to that list of severe threats by including another type of epidemic, that of the rise of cybercrime.

Despite the lack of publicity, cybercrime is growing, not retreating. The use of sophisticated ways to access personal accounts as well as large networks by criminal hackers is posing a significant danger to individuals and companies. Like fighting any pandemic, Fred Christie wants EU customers to be proactive in protecting their accounts and cloud-related assets.

The Spy talked to Fred in the spring about protecting your identity, financial accounts, and other valuable information on the web with some simple, common-sense solutions.

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about Easton Utilities please go here.

Hospitality: Tidewater Inn Adjusts to Post-COVID World

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Hospitality. It’s at the core of most businesses that deal with the public. At its most basic level, it is conveyed by a warm handshake and a sincere smile. Books are written, and courses are given on reading expressions to interpret a customer’s level of comfort or happiness. So, what happens when faces are partially covered, touching is discouraged, and distance is mandated?

Living through a pandemic has uprooted all business. Many have been able to turn to video conferencing as a way to continue the personal touch. Other, have had to come up with innovative ways to manage inventory and sell product. But what if the product is a luxury hotel? How do you show hospitality, ensure comfort, feed, and entertain your guests even as new rules are being written? If you’re like Lauren Catterton, who rose up the ranks of the hotel business to become the current General Manager of the Tidewater Inn in Easton, you’re up to the challenge.

Noticeably, the hotel/restaurant/bar industry took a significant hit when COVID struck. “As soon as it happened,” said Catterton, “we just started researching as much as possible and rewriting hospitality, because they don’t hand you a book. No one said, ‘this is what you guys are going to do when you reopen.’ We had to make it up on our own. We had also been in the midst of some renovations when it all hit.”

Historically, the hotel does a major renovation every winter, their slow season. However, this past winter was even more special. Besides completing the elevation of the third-floor guest rooms, they were building the carriage house behind the Tidewater House (previously Inn at 202 Dover) and adding the Terrasse Spa to their long list of amenities.

The renovations are now completed, but nothing is now as was expected then. Catterton: “We had to make the properties’ COVID-Friendly’ following all the CDC guidelines. Hunter’s Tavern, the ballrooms, and the Terrace are all on a socially distant floor plan now.” Not only that, if visiting the restaurant, expect to be asked for both your name and your phone number as part of their contact tracing efforts, should they need to get in touch with you.

Weddings will have a different look, as well. Besides the tables being six feet apart, there can be no more than six people per table, unless they’re a family of eight. Cocktail reception and dancing will be done outside.

Remember turn down service? How about having your room cleaned while you were exploring the town? Not anymore. “Guests can call the front desk and let us know anything they may need,” says Catterton. “Housekeeping will put a little bag together for them and leave it on their door. When guests depart, the hotel rooms are left dormant for 24 hours, then we go in, and we fog it with like a, basically Lysol Ghostbuster. Of course, it’s more complicated than that, and we let that sit for another 24 hours. Then we strip it using CDC certified cleaning products. So, the room has to remain vacant for 72 hours before another guest can use it.”

Obviously, the safety of the guests has been a top priority, but there is that ‘hospitality’ factor that can’t be mandated or controlled but needs to be demonstrated in their line of work. Catterton has spent time thinking about how to deal with all of that. “It was the first thing that we discussed when we knew our guests were coming back: how do you let them know that you’re smiling under your mask? How do you project a specific tone of voice because you’re muffled? I think our staff is instinctually warm and hospitable, and I think that’s reflected, whether with a mask on or not. We’re a very small team, and we’ve been through a lot, but we are genuinely happy to do what we do, which is to take care of our guests.”

But it’s not just letting guests know how you’re feeling about them; it’s also learning to read their guests. “We already know when people tell us, ‘hey, I’m smiling behind my mask,’ because we hear it in their voice. But we’ve also had to learn to read people that are cautious and adjust our behavior accordingly, to focus on just making them feel very comfortable.”

Comfort, safety, and new ideas are something the Tidewater is committed to adding to their catalog. They are currently also partnering with the Avalon Foundations on Wednesday evenings through July 8 for a Sunlit Summer Song Series, which features al fresco style dinner and concert.

Then there is Terrasse, which opened just last week. Billed as a full-service spa destination, it offers massages, facials, body treatments, Reiki, etc. It occupies the space originally held by the John Moll Board Room and Dover Club. As promised, everything about it is both luxurious and relaxing. Best yet, you don’t have to be a Tidewater Inn guest to enjoy the services. Keep an eye out for their Locals for Locals special for Talbot County residents and their First Responder discount.

To Lauren Catterton, all these changes are inevitable and not always as planned. But she’s got new ideas and a new mission: “We have to have a different focus. Our efforts are now on recreational tourism and how we can be a more walkable/bikeable community that will bring people in. We are giving a lot of emphasis and energy to the outdoor dining experience and other things that we can do. We’re no longer just Easton focused. It’s what you can do in St. Michaels; what you can do in Oxford. After doing all the wonderful things you can do in the area, you can just stay here with us at the Tidewater.”

Val Cavalheri is a recent transplant to the Eastern Shore, having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 20 years. She’s been a writer, editor and professional photographer for various publications, including the Washington Post.

Mistletoe Hall Farm Groundbreaking

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The Town of Easton announces the groundbreaking of a new industrial park, Mistletoe Hall Commerce-Business Park.  The 86-acre Town owned Mistletoe Farm property located on Goldsborough Neck Road adjacent to the to the Easton Airport has been subdivided to create seven industrially zoned parcels offering a prime location to support new or expanded businesses.

In addition to funding from the Town of Easton, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) provided the Town of Easton a $2.2 million grant to support the build-out of critical infrastructure, including roads and utilities.

“We are proud to begin the construction of Mistletoe Hall Commerce Business-Park. This auspicious project would not have been possible without our local, regional, state, and federal partners. It is through this collaboration that we are building a stronger business environment for not only Easton, but for the entire Eastern shore of Maryland.”

In partnership with the Town of Easton, Talbot County applied for and received two Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund infrastructure grants through the Rural Maryland Council to begin improvements to Goldsborough Neck Road to support this project. The road from Glebe Road to the entrance of Mistletoe Hall is being widened and improved to allow for the traffic that will be generated by the property’s development.

Portions of both Goldsborough Neck and Airport roads have been slated for future improvements to accommodate the development of a new regional hospital site off Route 50 near the Talbot County Community Center.

“Talbot County applauds the partnership that has brought the development of Mistletoe Hall to fruition,” says Talbot County Council President Corey Pack. “Working together with our partners, the groundbreaking of this 86-acre industrial park will incentivize local businesses to expand and new businesses to grow and relocate to Talbot County.

Visit www.eastonmd.gov to learn more about other projects and events happening in Easton. Visit www.mistletoehall.com to learn more about this project.

 

UM Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge Now Under Construction

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The University of Maryland Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge is under construction with anticipated completion by fall 2021. Located in the new Cambridge Marketplace on Route 50/Ocean Gateway, the project was designed by the Baltimore-based architectural firm Marshall Craft Associates and is being built by Chesapeake Contracting Group of Annapolis.

The campus will include a two-story freestanding medical facility (FMF) with a full 24/7 Emergency Department, a second-story medical services pavilion, a helipad and ample parking.

“The Cambridge Marketplace site is perfect—it offers convenient access to public transportation and emergency vehicles and efficient access to the helipad,” says Ken Kozel, president and CEO of UM Shore Regional Health. “We are excited that our medical campus will be conveniently located among other services at the Marketplace that benefit local residents.”

The first floor of the new building will house the state-of-the-art, 39,000-square-foot Emergency Department including 18 private treatment rooms, six private observation rooms and a separate, three-bed unit for the assessment and treatment of patients needing emergency care for behavioral health issues. As is now the case, the new Dorchester ED will have telemedicine capabilities that enable physicians and other care providers to consult with specialists at Shore Regional Health’s other facilities, at University of Maryland Medical Center and around the globe.

“Like our Shore Emergency Center in Queenstown, nearly 20,000 people come to the Emergency Department in Dorchester each year. We are looking forward to having a top-notch facility where our outstanding emergency care teams can continue to provide the best care possible,” says William Huffner, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, UM SRH.

Other services located on the first floor will include Shore Behavioral Health’s Bridge Clinic and Intensive Outpatient Program, Cardiac Rehabilitation, the Infusion Center, and laboratory and radiology services. An MRI facility will be located adjacent to the building.

The second floor will serve as a medical pavilion offering a wide array of services, including an outpatient surgery center, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services, rehabilitation services (including the Balance Center), chronic disease management services and a community education room.

The Cambridge offices of UM Shore Medical Group pediatric, women’s health and surgery practices will also be located on the second floor, along with a multispecialty suite where patients can see providers from various specialties including diabetes, cardiology, primary care and urology.

Aerial view of the construction site at Cambridge Marketplace.

Plans for UM Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge have been in the works since 2015. An important part of the process was a series of community listening sessions, conducted in 2016, in East New Market, Cambridge, Vienna and Madison.

Hosted by officials representing University of Maryland Medical System and UM Shore Regional Health, these sessions attracted hundreds of Dorchester residents as well as local physicians, business and civic leaders, elected officials, state and county health care officials, and representatives from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS).

Those in attendance gained an overview of the changing landscape of health care delivery and the forces driving that change, as well as plans for the new medical campus.

In July 2018, UM SRH held a public information session at Cambridge South Dorchester High School as part of the process of seeking legislative approval for the FMF model to be implemented in Cambridge. Senate Bill 707 passed in the Maryland General Assembly’s 2019 session and was signed by Governor Larry Hogan.

In late April 2019, the Maryland Health Care Commission unanimously approved three Certificates of Exemption, which included plans for UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester to be replaced by UM Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge once the new campus is completed and fully operational.

“From the outset, our goal has been to ensure that quality, accessible and affordable health care is available to all residents of Dorchester County,” says Kozel. “We sought a convenient, visible location that would meet the key health care needs in the region, and also serve as a modern place of employment, a focal point for public transportation, and an attractive draw to physicians and advanced practice providers needed to provide care in the region. It’s exciting and gratifying to see this vision now becoming reality.”

For more information about Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge, visit umshoreregional.org/cambridgecampus.

St. Michaels Banner Program A Community Effort

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While much of life is still not back to normal, one cheering tradition in St. Michaels still carries on.

“Harbor View” Kevin Snelling

When the banners fly on Talbot Street, normally it’s one of the first signs that the St. Michaels community will soon be entering the full swing of summer recreation that brings thousands of tourists to this charming harbor town.  From one end of Talbot Street to the other, colorful banners delight visitors and residents with depictions of iconic boating scenes, crabs, local wildlife, and all the summer fun for which St. Michaels is so well known.  This year, at least for now, there may be fewer crowds as the town slowly reopens, but the banners are up for all to see.

This annual event, now in its twelfth year, is made possible through the support of many individuals, businesses, and organizations.  The banner artwork is created by members of the St. Michaels Art League (SMAL), but that is just the beginning.

The collaboration kicks off early in Winter as SMAL artists create paintings in various media in the required banner format.  Then the painted images go into production.  Kevin Snelling, proprietor of Creative XPressions scans the paintings and sends them to Sharper Graphics, located in Easton, where Bob Porter produces the banners.  Price’s Yacht Canvas Shop in St. Michaels then sews the banners back to back, readying them for hanging on Talbot utility poles. Finally, Curtis Short and his crew from Choptank Electric Cooperative hang the colorful banners in April, just as springtime emerges from the cold and wind.

Kevin Snelling, at Creative XPressions in St. Michaels continues his support of SMAL artists by offering poster versions in his Talbot street shop.  Tourists and art patrons can purchase dramatic art pieces for modest prices.   A portion of sales is returned to the artist and the Art League.  Many of the images are the products of award-winning artists.

In normal times, the league displays the original artwork from which the banner images are created at the Talbot County Free Library in St. Michaels and awards are presented for best graphic image and best fine art, however, this year the event is on hold until the library reopens. In lieu of the library event, you can view the banners on the SMAL website, smartleague.org.

The Talbot County Arts Council with funds provided by the Maryland State Arts Council assist with partial funding for many of the League’s community-oriented events including the banners. Support from the Councils also help Students from local schools participate in the Banner program. This year’s grant covered the cost to produce three banners from AP art students at St. Michaels Middle High School. Under the tutelage of their teacher Bridget Whited, artwork by Georgia Kline, Elizabeth Scharch, and Kaila Regan is featured along with SMAL artists.

While the Art League’s mission is to enhance the appreciation of art and members’ artistic professionalism, the town continues to benefit from the economic promotion that a lively arts scene engenders.

The banners are taken down in November, just a few short months before the process begins anew.

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Commerce: When an Alcohol Distillery Takes on COVID-19

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By now, you probably know about how St. Michaels’ Windon Distilling, home of Lyon Rum, temporarily ventured into making hand sanitizers. But did you know that they’re still at it?

If you don’t remember or weren’t paying close attention, here is a brief recap. In mid-March, as businesses closed around the nation, the call went out, and a temporary dispensation was given to beverage alcohol distilleries to help make much-needed sanitizers. Distilleries everywhere took on the challenge. As the founder and CEO of Windon Distilling and the President of the Maryland Distillers Guild, Jamie Windon was in a unique position to help guide and create a network and database to funnel the many requests they were getting. These requests came from all over Maryland on behalf of multiple state agencies, front line workers, and essential businesses.

Those first few weeks were a scramble to learn how to make the product, how to procure the ancillary supplies (glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, bottles), and how to get it to the people who needed it. But the decision to make a new product was something they knew they had to do, not something they were doing from a business perspective. “This was our saying, yes to a need that came down to us from the State and the County,” says Windon. “We were simply responding, and because we were responding to their requests, we had no idea when we made that first batch if that was the only batch we were going to make, if we were going to do that and be done with it, or how long this would continue.”

It went on longer than what anyone expected. For six weeks, they tried to keep up with the demand. At one point, Windon remembers, the guild had a backlog of requests for over 20,000 gallons that had to be filled. And with 90% of the Distilling’s staff laid off, it became the responsibility of Windon and her partners to roll up their sleeves and “work 24/7 just as if we were starting a new business.”

With such a tremendous need, there was, of course, no extras to go around, despite the many calls they were receiving from the public. But two weeks ago, it all changed. The Distilling company is still making hand sanitizers, but they now have enough to sell to the private consumer, whether it’s an individual or a business preparing to reopen.

“Now anybody that needs it can contact us,” says Windon. “A business owner said to me the other day, ‘Oh man, I can’t find hand sanitizer, and when I did, it was $60 a gallon.’ And I said, ‘you know I make it, and it’s $35 a gallon.’ That’s been a mission of ours since the very beginning when we started this. We, along with many of our fellow distillers in Maryland, have worked to help correct price gouging and to provide something that was needed at a fair price. That’s just hugely important to us as a company.”

But don’t expect to see the personal-sized bottles. The company only sells one-gallon containers. And don’t expect to just be able to run into the distillery and pick one up. All transactions are done through email, with pickup by appointment at the showroom or their booth at the farmer’s markets.

At this point, Windon plans on continuing to make hand sanitizers as long as it’s needed and is proud of her company’s role in this unexpected opportunity. They won’t, however, be branding it into the Windon family of products. “If you look at our bottles, they have the FDA label. It’s very simple and clean. It’s a functional refill of an essential item, and it would be awful to stop making it when people in our community need it. When that need ceases, and when the calls and emails stop coming in, we’ll stop making it.”

She was also quick to confirm her real passion. “I don’t want a hand sanitizer business. I like making rum. I mean, that’s what we do here. Out of necessity, this booze factory is temporarily a hand sanitizer factory.”

This is a relief to the many Lyon fans, who had worried that the company might run out of rum. “Luckily, she said, “this is our seventh year in business, and we had a pretty good stock of the rum inventory and other spirits going into this. We stopped spirit production for about seven weeks to concentrate on the hand sanitizers.”

This past week the distillery started doing fermentations and making rum again. Their partner, Grey Wolf Distilling, has also begun distilling their vodka line. “But of course, like any business right now,” says Windon, “we’re not jumping back into full manufacturing because we simply don’t know what’s to come and what the demand will be. We’re just beginning to see our normal business start to come back. We’re still about 75% down in sales, but just enough to start needing to refill the rum supply.”

Which is a surprising comment given that the liquor industry has been reported to be thriving right now. Says Windon that could not be further from the truth. “Craft distillers and craft breweries across the country, especially in Maryland, are suffering. They’re suffering because their tasting rooms are closed, and in-store liquor store tasting opportunities are gone. In Maryland, we’ve seen an average of about 75% reduction in sales and as much as 100% for some distilleries. My friends who have breweries tell terrible stories about having to dump beer that’s beginning to expire that wasn’t sold. Luckily spirits don’t expire, so we count our blessings where we can.”

With tasting rooms being a critical revenue source for craft breweries, will Windon expect a quick return to reopen? Not quite. “Out of safety and responsibility to my staff and my customers, I was one of the very first businesses to close my doors before the Governor mandated it. I anticipate that I’ll be one of the last businesses to fully open my doors once it’s legal as well, simply because I want to take things slow. Our distillery is about hospitality, about taking care of people, making people comfortable. And until the public feels a renewed sense of trust that it’s safe to be close to people, we are aren’t able to provide what we normally provide, which is seriously wonderful service with a smile. That’s the core of who we are, and until we can do that, there’s no reason for me to open the tasting room. And I’m not in a hurry to. I’m going to wait until it’s safe. I don’t know how long that’ll take, but we’ll be here. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll just be doing things differently.”

Val Cavalheri is a recent transplant to the Eastern Shore, having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 20 years. She’s been a writer, editor and professional photographer for various publications, including the Washington Post.

Spying on Annapolis: Downtown not “Giving up the Ship”

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If there were to be a list of early indicators that America might be ready to re-engage in tourist towns, downtown Annapolis should be on that metric board.

The historic state capital seemed like a perfect case study for evaluating the first full day of the newly revised Maryland social distancing guidelines from Governor Larry Hogan, who just happens to live in the hood.

What the Spy saw on Saturday was promising but tentative. Taking advantage of what could only be called a perfect May day, modest numbers of tourists, midshipmen, and locals returned to walking on Main Street, visiting some shops, or gathering at the city dock. And all of whom seemed to clustered with only known ones; but happy to have this buffered experience nonetheless

The city of Annapolis has launched a clever marketing campaign that borrows the famed motto of a naval commander in 1813 crying out to his ship’s crew to “Don’t give up the Ship.” The Spy found good evidence Saturday that no one is going to give up on any ship or this town anytime soon.

This video is approximately one minute in length

Gordman’s Parent Co. Files for Bankruptcy

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Stage Stores Inc., which operates brands including Gordmans and Peebles, has filed for bankruptcy, citing the effects of closing all its stores as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The firm operated Peebles stores that had been rebranded as Gordmans in recent months in Easton and Chestertown.

In a May 10 letter to customers, President and CEO Michael Glazer said Stage had “been unable to obtain necessary financing to continue operating as an independent business.

“We have therefore filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11, as we simultaneously run a sale process for our business or any of our assets and initiate an orderly wind-down of our operations,” Glazer wrote. “We hope our actions over the last several months to reposition the business will attract the right partner who is interested in our off-price concept.

“If we receive a viable bid for the business, we will terminate our winddown of operations at certain locations,” he wrote. “This is incredibly difficult news to deliver and it is a decision that we came to after exhausting all other options.”

Stage is the third large retailer to file for bankruptcy in recent days, following J. Crew and Neiman Marcus.

In its bankruptcy filing, Houston-based Stage said it had between 10,001 to 25,000 creditors and listed total assets at about $1.7 billion and total debts at about $1 billion. Stage reported about $1.6 billion in revenue in 2018.

The firm has about 28.9 million shares of common stock. Axar Capital Management LP holds nearly 15% of the firm’s equity; Glazer holds 6.41%.

The firm’s 50 largest creditors include Nike, which is owed $3.6 million; Adobe, $2.64 million; Skechers, $2.31 million; Ralph Lauren, $2.138 million; Levi, $2.079 million; and Adidas, $1.879 million. One Maryland firm, FILA USA Inc., is owed more than $940,000.

Stage operated stores under a variety of brands, including Stage Stores, Bealls, Palais Royal, Peebles, Gordmans and Goody’s.

In 2017, Stage bought the Gordmans name, along with 48 stores and one distribution center, and later announced plans to convert all its stores to the off-price Gordmans brand to compete with discount retailers such as TJ Maxx and Burlington.

The rebrand had included the former Peebles department stores in Easton and Chestertown.

Although those changes had seen some success, the pandemic halted any progress in improving the company’s finances.

The firm, in a list of frequently asked questions on its website, wrote:

“Over the last several months, we had been taking significant steps to attempt to strengthen our financial position and find an independent path forward.

“However, the increasingly challenging market environment was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, which required us to temporarily close all of our stores and furlough the vast majority of our associates.”

Stage will reopen its 738 stores in a phased approach to liquidate inventory as it seeks a buyer.

About 557 stores will open on May 15, 67 stores are expected to open on May 28, and the remaining stores are expected to open on June 4.

Glazer said the store closing sales would include brand name apparel and home decor merchandise.

The company “will continue to follow health authorities’ recommendations and industry best practices as we reopen to ensure our guests and associates feel comfortable in our stores and facilities,” he wrote. “We will provide additional information about the steps we are taking, which include ensuring appropriate social distancing, the use of face covers, enhanced cleaning and sanitation, modified purchasing and returns processes, and good hygiene and health awareness.

Stage expects “to honor existing customer programs, including gift cards and returns, for the first 30 days after a store reopens,” Glazer wrote. “We will not be issuing gift cards at this time and we encourage you to use them while you can.”

Gift cards, rewards or coupons that expired while the store was closed because of COVID-19 will not be honored.

For questions about products, warranties or rewards, customers in the U.S. should continue to contact the customer service team via phone at 800.743.8730, email or text.

If customers have questions regarding the restructuring process, or for information about which stores will be affected, visit www.gordmans.com.

Less Seasonal Help, Virus Deliver One-Two Punch to Bay’s Blue Crab Industry

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Crab season is off to a slow and foreboding start around the Chesapeake Bay, with many crabmeat processors crippled by an inability to import seasonal workers and by watermen worried they’ll be unable to sell all they can catch as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chilly, windy weather limited commercial harvests of blue crabs through much of April, the first full month of the season. Warming spring weather usually brings better fortunes, but those in the business of catching or picking crabs say they fear for their livelihoods amid the double whammy that’s hit the Bay’s most valuable fishery.

“It’s kind of a really scary situation,” said Bill Sieling, executive vice president of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association, which represents Maryland companies. “It just doesn’t look good.”

Many of the crabmeat processing businesses around the Bay are short-handed because they failed to get federal approval to bring in as many foreign workers as they have in previous years.

The Department of Homeland Security held a lottery in January to distribute a reduced pool of 33,000 H-2B visas nationwide to all of the landscaping, construction and other businesses seeking to bring in seasonal labor, mainly from Mexico and Central America. Under pressure, the department announced in March it would hand out another 35,000 visas, but shelved that in early April amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, only three of Maryland’s nine “picking houses,” as the crab processors are known, received any visas in the initial drawing. After missing out on the lottery, Lindy’s Seafood on Hoopers Island was looking at limping along with a half-dozen local workers.

“We could sell more product, we just can’t produce it,” said sales manager Aubrey Vincent.

Then, in late April, she said she got federal approval to bring back 61 workers who’d picked crabmeat at the plant last fall.

“It’s not all of my people,” she said, noting that the plant typically hires more than 100 seasonal workers. Still, she said, “it’s better than no people.”

The luck was as bad or worse in Virginia, where Graham & Rollins Inc., the biggest crabmeat processor in the state and one of the largest on the East Coast, has been idled after coming up snake-eyes in the visa lottery. The company, a fixture on the Hampton waterfront for nearly 80 years, had asked for 85 visas.

“Without workers, we’re looking at closure,” said Johnny Graham. “The plant’s been mothballed, the power’s pretty much cut off [and] the water supply’s being cut off.”

J. M. Clayton Co. in Cambridge was among the lucky ones. Co-owner Jack Brooks said the company got its request granted via the lottery for about 60 visas.

But then coronavirus intervened. Brooks said that with restaurants shut down and many people losing jobs, the demand for crabmeat is off, and he’s not sure when or if it will come back. So, the company has arranged to bring in “a few more than 20” workers for now.

“We’re looking at probably 30–45% capacity at best,” Brooks said.

Though unable to process much crabmeat, processors say they’re still able to sell live or steamed crabs. There appears to be a robust demand for the limited supply available in this slow-starting season.

Graham said the retail seafood store operated by his company has been selling crabs for carryout like it was the 4th of July, the traditional peak of demand for steamed crabs.

Debbie Fitzhugh sells fresh crab meat at a new service window at the J. M. Clayton Co. in Cambridge. Photo by Dave Harp/Bay Journal News Service

J. M. Clayton also has seen an uptick in retail crab sales, Brooks said. In response, the company has set up a makeshift drive-up window where customers can place orders and pick them up.

“People blow a horn, we go to the window and talk to them,” he said. That way, he explained, “people don’t walk in like they used to” and risk getting or spreading coronavirus.

Processors said they’re taking steps to try to keep their workers healthy. Brooks said Clayton is limiting the workforce in the picking room so workers are spaced 6 feet apart and wearing masks.

Watermen aren’t as worried about social distancing but they do wonder if they’ll be able to sell their catch when warmer weather usually brings more crabs into their boats.

“There haven’t been many crabs so far,” said Jeff Harrison, president of the Talbot Watermen Association. But demand is off, with restaurants closed and many markets not buying much seafood.

“Right now,” he added, “there really isn’t a problem selling them.”

Harrison said he’s worried about how long the coronavirus shutdowns are going to last. They already cut short what had turned out to be a good wild oyster harvest, he said. Now, even if restaurants and other businesses start to reopen in the coming month, he foresees a season where watermen won’t earn as much for what they catch — and feel lucky just to be able to sell it at all.

Already, the dockside price has been about 30% or more below what it was at the start of the season last year, Harrison said. Meanwhile, he noted, the price of razor clams used as bait has gone up.

The $2 trillion in COVID-19 economic relief passed by Congress in late March included $300 million for the seafood industry. But that’s to be distributed nationwide, and industry officials say it’s far from enough to keep everyone afloat. Just in Virginia alone, losses to all commercial fisheries are estimated to range from $53 million to $68 million, according to data compiled by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

“Even if it lasts another month, it’s still going to be a mess,” Harrison said. “And if it goes two months, we’re done.”

Amid news reports that air and water quality have improved as a result of so many businesses closed and people ordered to stay home, Harrison said the effort to halt the spread of coronavirus is probably helping the Bay. But, he added, it’s “not the way we wanted it to happen.”

By Timothy B. Wheeler

Commerce: Kirsh Studio Launches Jewelry Line

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Over the past twenty-five years, Jan Kirsh established herself as one of the most talented landscape designers and artists on the Eastern Shore. Since the design of “outdoor rooms” is a three-dimensional exercise, Jan began thinking about designing sculpture to enhance the gardens she designed for her clients. She began experimenting in different media and soon study models appeared in her studio that became full scale sculpture in her garden-trios of tall, slender asparagus, a reclining glistening red pepper sweating in the sun and a sensuous eggplant in her form-fitting aubergine gown.

These study models became larger than life 3-D sculptures of fruits and vegetables that soon appeared in her clients’ private collections in the US and around the world. My first article about Jan’s colorful, whimsical and thoroughly delightful sculpture, ““Green Giants: The Fruit & Vegetable Sculptures of Jan Kirsh”, was posted on February 23, 2018 and I have been a fan ever since.

Not one to rest on her considerable laurels, Jan’s next idea was to transform her fruit and vegetable designs into jewelry and her first creation was a pendant in a voluptuous pear shape. That design was followed by a fig cut in half. As an architect, it reminded me of my favorite design tool, a section cut through a building. Jan began wearing her new fig pendant and it became quite a conversation piece. Soon she was receiving orders and her new jewelry line grew to include a chile pepper, avocado half and soon earrings were added to her collection.

Jan’s debut collection of 3-D printed jewelry with its 21st century style is the result of seven years of research and development. The elegant, detailed appearance of the jewelry is due to cutting-edge 3D printing techniques, augmented by fine Swarovski crystals. The jewelry line includes pendants and earrings that can be worn individually or as a matching set. 

“Each piece has been meticulously designed to represent my sculpture on a smaller scale, with innovative 3D printing technology,” explains Kirsh, on the process of how they are made. “Comprised of metal alloy with a ‘high energy tumbled’ finish, this is an exciting way to design and make jewelry that simply has never existed before.” She adds, “the new line appeals to all ages, anyone who loves fashion, art and the beauty of Mother Nature.” 

Now available online, these unique pieces are the perfect gift for Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 10th). The jewelry line is expected to be available in various retail establishments later this year. 

To browse the collection of jewelry and sculpture, learn more about the artist, and browse jewelry-inspired recipes, visit store.jankirshstudio.com.

Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee.

 

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