Easton

Spy Review: Avalon Theater Presents Ziggy Stardust

January 23, 2020 by Steve Parks Leave a Comment

David Bowie, the late British singer-songwriter and actor, drew on both his musical and theatrical skills to launch him into rock superstardom with the 1972 release of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and subsequent concert tour dates.

You can catch it live—although without Bowie, of course, as his androgynous alter ego, Ziggy—thanks to Classic Albums Live, which, as the name implies, performs classic albums note for note in order of appearance on the original vinyl LPs. The Toronto-based concert touring company, which last came to Easton’s Avalon Theater in November to play The Doors’ LA Woman, brings Ziggy Stardust to life on the main stage Saturday, Jan. 25.

A different group of musicians is assembled for each album to meet Classic Album Live’s commitment to achieving as close as possible the same sound, riff-for-riff, as the recording that first turned you into a fan of, say, The Beatles, the Stones, Led Zep or The Boss.

Bowie had his first major success on the pop/rock charts with “Space Oddity” in 1969. But it was Ziggy Stardust that rocketed him to the top in the “glam rock” era of the 1970s.

This is a concept album in that its songs comprise a loose storyline about the travails of Ziggy, a space alien. He’s come to Earth as a rock star to warn humanity to change habits that pose an existential threat to the planet as a habitable island in the universe. Sound familiar?

As Bowie himself described the concept, “The time is five years to go before the end of the Earth. It has been announced that the world will end because of a lack of natural resources.”Or maybe it’s just so hot that the seas will soon flood all the planet’s landmasses.

Whatever. Here’s Ziggy Stardust, in first-cut-to-last order as you’ll experience it at the Avalon Saturday night:

“Five Years,” the low-key percussion-driven opening number, seems to have been influenced by the Plastic Ono Band (Yoko Ono/John Lennon). Drummer Mick Woodmansey also figures prominently in the undertone of “Soul Love,” accented by Bowie’s unique vocal lyricism and Mick Ronson’s layered electric guitar riffs. “Moonage Daydream” suggests a deep space sonic invasion with Trevor Bolder’s steadily accelerating bass leading to a furious piano, backing vocals, and electric-guitar finish.

The album’s hit single, “Starman,” remains one of the greatest in Bowie’s career. As an acoustic ballad, it brings to mind his breakthrough single, “Space Oddity,” with eerie sound effects, orchestration, and deft Ronson riffs following each chorus. The song represents a turning point in Ziggy’s persona from a manipulative would-be savior to a delusional refugee from another world. Side one closes with, oddly enough for a concept album, a cover—”It Ain’t Easy” by the late American songwriter Ron Davies. It fits right in with the “Stardust” vibe accented by 12-string acoustics and a harpsichord.

“Lady Stardust” opens side two with a moody piano-driven ballad featuring bass virtuosity but almost no guitar. Next, “Star” could be a piano-led rocker from the ‘50s or early ‘60s, while “Hang on to Yourself,” a punkish interlude with glam accents starring Ronson on slide guitar, sets up the climactic final numbers.

The title song represents the beginning of the end with serial classic rock riffs by Ronson, plus Bowie’s vocals delivered in a way to distinguish each of the number’s two parts from each other. In the original recording, “Ziggy” segues into “Suffragette City,” which became the No. 2 hit from the album. It’s a tight rock highlighted by stellar performances by Bowie and Ronson, suggesting a Velvet Underground influence. After that electric romp, the album closes with the acoustic “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide,” which finds Ziggy as a washed-up stage presence, before the song and album conclude with subtle electric guitar effects building slowly to full orchestration and a fittingly dramatic coda to a truly classic album.

Bowie, who died of cancer in 2016, went on to play another space role, this time on the big screen—”The Man Who Fell to Earth” in 1976, playing an alien from a dying planet. Twenty years later, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Next up in the Classic Albums Live series at the Avalon: the late Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes, Apr. 30.

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover St., Easton
Tickets: $40, 410-822-7299

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer and editor now living in Easton.

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Snifter’s Having the Last Laugh in Easton

January 21, 2020 by Val Cavalheri Leave a Comment

Word is that if you’re looking for an evening of great comedy, you don’t have to cross the bridge or even leave Talbot County. Snifter’s Craft Beer and Wine Bistro in Easton wants to be the place you think of when deciding on an evening of laughter and entertainment. That certainly was the case last month, when headliner Mickey Cucchiella, former co-host of 98Rock out of Baltimore, Davine Ker from Northern VA, and Easton Shore’s own Macy Morris played to an appreciative standing room only crowd.

“There’s nothing happening like that here in Easton,” says Snifter’s (and adjoining Hair o’ the Dog Wine & Spirits) owner, Joe Petro. “We’ve got the Avalon, thank God, and the club above it, but there’s really no other entertainment. So, the idea of bringing in a comedy club, or comedy night, I thought was really a cool idea.” The idea appears to have caught on with most shows selling out days before the performance.

To assist in booking talent, Petro chose Big Timing Comedy, a production and promotion group from Baltimore after Big Timing co-owner, Eric Jolicoeur, approached Petro about doing shows at Snifter’s. “Wine and craft beer places are perfect for live entertainment,” said Jolicoeur. “They usually have a great customer base and together, make a strong partnership.”

But comedy is just one of the ways Petro is trying to keep Snifter’s relevant, not unlike what he has done with Hair O’ the Dog, which recently celebrated its 15th year. “We pride ourselves on being different than everybody else, says Petro. “Little odd-ballish little geeky. We have more of a broader range of products and we shy away so much from the big brand name commodity brands and try to find a more niche-y kind of products. So, we’ve always had that in our veins–being a little bit different and unique and offering customers different choices than the standard liquor store.”

That’s because Petro thinks he sees the writing on the wall. “The business model of liquor stores is changing,” he says. The future, as he envisions, are people belonging to wine clubs, getting their wines through the mail, or buying beer, wine, and alcohol at grocery stores or big box stores, such as Walmart.

Joe Petro

“You have to be good in more than one thing,” he says, and that one thing became Snifter’s, which opened in June of 2018.“We wanted a venue that not only offered products that would appeal to adults, but we wanted the atmosphere to be conducive to just chill out, have a nice bottle of wine, hear some nice music, have something to eat, and have a conversation.”

Petro prides himself on trying to find fun things that people want to do. So far, what people have wanted have included wine dinners, cider tastings, gin making classes, even Prosecco Yoga in the morning. There are also the standards, which are live music from local talent and OpinioNation, a trivia type, survey-based game, similar to the show Family Feud. Stop by any Wednesday, and you will see groups of people sitting around the table, eating dinner, sipping their drinks, and comparing answers in hopes of winning prizes. “And they can’t even Google it because there are no right answers,” says Petro.

Connecting to the community that supports them, is vital to Snifter’s, who believe in giving back. “We’re big on nonprofits coming in and taking over the restaurant for the night, says Petro. “We’ve done events with ARC, St. Peter and Paul School, Talbot Humane, Talbot Interfaith, and Neighborhood Service Center. One of the OpinioNation game nights each month, will be hosted by one of the nonprofits and 10% of everything we take in that night is donated to them.”

When asked about future plans, Petro is clear on his objectives. “The future is going to be two-fold. One is to improve what we’re already doing. So, there’s always areas that we can improve, whether it’s service, or food, or selections of wine or products. We’re looking at expanding our craft cocktails on the menu right now from 4 to either six or eight. The other is our food. Right now, it’s primarily small plates, flatbreads and cheese boards, along with two entrees a night. We’re looking to expand that because we’re hearing from our customers that they want a broader selection of options and more dinner entrees.”

Immediate plans, however, are preparing for the upcoming Comedy Night this Saturday, January 25th, when Snifter’s will host Headliner Tommy Highland and will feature Rose Vineshank, and Mila Simon. Doors open at 6:00 and show starts at 7:00. Tickets are $25.00 and they sell out fast. “We encourage folks to get here early, if they want to have dinner beforehand. Of course, we do food and drinks throughout the show, as well.” But the bottom line to Petro is this: “It’s just a great inexpensive night out of fun.” If past performance is any indication, he’s right and you just might be on the cusp of being part of the inaugural comedy club of Easton.

Upcoming shows (check Snifter’s FaceBook page for more complete details):
March 7th – Headliner Josh Kuderna
May 2nd – Headliner Tommy Sinbazo
June 13th – Headliner Mickey Cucchiella

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.

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Culinary Miracle on Idlewild: Bombay Tadka Comes to Easton

January 16, 2020 by Spy Agent 9 -- 00 Section 1 Comment

One of the most anticipated happenings in Easton in the past few months is the opening of Bombay Tadka Restaurant. Currently, Bombay Tadka is enjoying success with its Cambridge location on Race Street thanks in part to the innovative ideas of owner, Rohit Shinde. In August, the restaurant held an Indian Street Food Festival to a sold-out and appreciative crowd. Shinde plans to explore various ways to introduce the Eastern Shore to new and delicious food choices through events and specials in Easton, as well. As he says in the interview, “Easton has people with different taste buds.”

Meanwhile, fans of the Cambridge location will find almost the same menu in Easton, although Shinde will be adding some Southern Indian cooking, which includes a stronger focus on vegetables and seafood over the Northern Indian attention to meat and dairy. Future plans also include opening the restaurant as a breakfast destination.

A departure from Cambridge will be the daily buffet that the Easton location plans to feature. Shinde says this will allow him to serve those in the surrounding area who don’t have a lot to time for lunch and will also let new fans taste a variety of dishes. He looks forward to giving recommendations to customers who are interested in mild flavors and those wanting a spicier version of a menu item.

Bombay Tadka will be open from 11 to 9 pm. They are located at 508 Idlewild Ave.

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Shore Arts: MSO Selects Winner of Elizabeth Loker Competition

January 13, 2020 by Steve Parks 1 Comment

The winner of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition is Joseph McNure, a 22-year-old graduate student in music at the University of Maryland College Park, whose instrument of choice is the alto saxophone.

Joseph McNure

McNure was awarded $2,000 and a three-concert reprise in March of the winning performance of Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone, along with the full orchestra performing Mozart’s Symphony No. 33. The Creston concerto was a bold choice, composed by an Italian-American born to Sicilian immigrant parents in 1905. Creston died in 1985, and although he was a prolific composer whose work was widely performed through the 1950s, he was better known as a teacher in his later years. McNure interpreted the piece in an original classical jazz format, ranging from frantic piercing to quieter riffs that seemed to evoke familiar refrains you think you know but can’t quite place.

McNure, a Virginia Beach native, was the last of six finalists to perform Thursday night, January 9, at the Avalon Theatre in Easton. Six competitors were selected among about 40 applicants who were judged in December based on audio performances submitted to an MSO team. The team led by Terry Ewell, graduate director of music at Towson University, also consisted of Dane Krich, the orchestra’s general manager, and Julian Benichou, its music director. Ewell and Benichou were judges of the final round of the competition, while Krich emceed the evening’s proceedings.

While McNure said he was “thrilled” to win the competition, he’s been a winner before—capturing top honors in the University of Maryland Concerto Competition last fall.

Second-place was won by Joshua Lauretig, 25, who performed the oboe solo of Vivaldi’s Concerto in C Major. Honorable mention went to 12-year-old Sophia Lin of Longfellow Middle School in Virginia, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major. The other contestants were saxophonist Tae Ho Twang playing Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto in E-flat Major and cellists Yejin Hong and Eunghee Cho, both of whom performed, separately, Dvorak’s Cello Concerto.

In the awards presentation, Maestro Benichou noted that music competitions are not to be compared to athletic battles in that each contestant in music is out to play one’s best rather than to defeat fellow musicians. In solo competitions, he said, “We don’t learn music so much as learn about ourselves.”

Benichou also paid tribute to the competition’s namesake, the late Elizabeth Loker, longtime Easton supporter of the orchestra who bequeathed a gift to the MSO in her will.

As the winner of this first annual Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition, Joseph McNure, will perform his triumphant Paul Creston piece with the orchestra, also performing the Mozart symphony, on March 5 at the Easton Church of God, March 7 at Ocean View Church of Christ, Ocean View, Delaware, and March 8 at the Community Church in Ocean Pines, Maryland. Tickets: $45, 888-846-8600.

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer and editor now living in Easton

Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Before Out of the Fire

January 10, 2020 by Talbot Historical Society Leave a Comment

On August 11, 1954 a fire started behind the People’s Meat Market on Goldsborough Street Easton, Maryland and spread to and destroyed McCrory’s Department Store! McCrory’s was an L shaped store that ran from Washington Street to Goldsborough Street. This remarkable photo shows the reconstruction of the area where “ Out of the Fire” Restaurant and Lizzie Dee are today! Facts: “Easton Album” by Norman Harrington 1986. Photo found in Collections at the Talbot Historical Society.

Contact: Cathy Hill cvhill@atlanticbb.net to share your old photos. Comment, Like our page and join THS!

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Shore Arts: MSO Elizabeth Loker Competition for Emerging Artists

January 8, 2020 by Steve Parks

And now for something brand new in this new year for the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and the rest of us. The inaugural Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition moves into its final round Thursday night, January 9, at the Avalon Theatre with six solo musicians performing concertos they have selected for their particular instrumental skills. The winner, chosen by a pair of musician jurists, will be announced on stage shortly after the last note of the concertos is played.

“We’ve been looking to reach out and discover new talent,” says Dane Krich, general manager of the MSO as well as one of the orchestra’s percussionists. “We wanted to find the next young person we’d like to showcase.”

The winner takes home a $2,000 check and a trip back to Easton for a March 5 showcase, plus two reprise matinee performances in Ocean View, Delaware, and Ocean Pines, Maryland March 7 and 8. The March concerts also feature the full Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of Mozart’s Symphony No. 33.

“The competition is named for a longtime supporter of the orchestra, Elizabeth Loker, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago,” Krich says. “So, this is in her memory.”

“The competition is the brainchild of our board president,” Terry Ewell says of Jeffrey Parker. “He and Julian Benichou have been wanting to make this happen,” he added, referring to the MSO music director now in his 15th season.

One reason Ewell, graduate director of music at Towson University, and a bassoonist with the MSO, was brought on board for the project was his administrative experience, especially in running competitions such as this one. “You’ve got to know who and where to send letters and applications and how to set up the judging,” he says.

Letters went out at the start of the MSO current season in September. Approximately 40 applicants submitted video performances by way of YouTub for a blind first-round competition. They came from as far as Austin, Texas, Miami, Florida, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and as nearby as several cities in Maryland. “We sent our jurists only the audio of the recordings, identified by number. Neither of the judges saw any names or any video,” Krich says. “Their decisions were based solely on how each musician played their instrument and how they interpreted the concerto they selected.”

Of these contestants, jurors were given until December 12 to choose six finalists ranging in age from 12 to 25.

The six musicians and the concertos they’re performing Thursday at the Avalon are:

Tae Ho Hwang, 25, saxophone: Alexander Glazunov, Concerto in E-flat Major

Yejin Hong, 22: Dvorak, Cello Concerto

Joseph McNure, saxophone, 22: Paul Creston, Concerto for Alto Saxophone

Joshua Lauretig, 25 oboe: Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto in C Major RV 447

Sophia Lin,12 piano: Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K 453

Eunghee Cho,22 cello: Dvorak, Cello Concerto

ELIZABETH LOKER CONCERTO COMPETITION, final round..
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover St., Easton
Tickets: $10; 410-822-0345

. . . and the winner’s concert performance
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, Easton Church of God, 1009 N. Washington St.; Ocean View Church of Christ, 55 West Ave., Ocean View, Delaware; Community Church, Route 589 and Racetrack Road, Ocean Pines, Maryland
Tickets: $45; 888-846-8600

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer and editor now living in Easton.

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Not Your Grandmother’s Club: Talbot County Women’s Club in 2020

January 6, 2020 by Val Cavalheri

From each other’s homes to school auditoriums to their own ‘clubhouse’ (a historic double-house on Talbot Lane), the Talbot County Women’s Club is no stranger to having to change meeting locations to accommodate membership numbers. But although settings may have changed, commitment to their goals to support worthwhile local causes through service projects have not.

Established in 1930 by a small group of Easton women, the non-profit organization is guided by the Club’s objectives: community service, a lifetime of learning, and long-lasting friendship. Board member, BettyJo Constantino, explains, “People do better in a community setting, and that’s why our club exists.”

In its 90 years history, the Club has supported numerous programs in Talbot County, including Easton Volunteer Fire Department, Shore Regional Cancer Center, and Talbot County Social Services, to name a few. They have provided baskets for the holidays and for Easter for the Department of Aging. They also took part in knitting and crocheting approximately 80 red hats for the Little Hats, Big Hearts campaign for the American Heart Association.

This past year, the Club donated 50 fully stocked backpacks to those in need from Easton Middle School. “We connected with the school staff, the teachers, and the principal and found out how great the need was,” says Constantino. “We were able to fill the backpacks with 30 pounds of material. There were colored pencils, regular pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, loose-leaf paper, three-ring binders, erasers, etc.” The involvement of local businesses is critical to their success. “Staples was phenomenal; both donating items and lowering their prices,” she added.

Local businesses are also involved in the Club’s latest “Chopped Talbot” fundraiser, which features six local restaurants competing for the title of Champion, as voted on by attendees. For a $60 ticket price (which includes tip), guests are served a three-course dinner: entree, appetizer, and dessert. Part of the ticket sale proceeds benefits the Club and its mission. At the end of the competition, around April, a winner will be declared.

So far, Osteria Alfredo, Marker Five, and Eat Sprout have participated. Coming up will be Bistro St. Michaels on January 13, 14, 17, and 18th; Wylder Restaurant & Hotel on February 22, 23, 29th, and March 1st; and T at the General Store on March 11, 12, 18, and 19th.

Lately, the Club is focusing on building its membership. When current members noticed that meeting hours were a detriment to working women, they restructured to allow women to find the time that best suited their schedule. “We’re trying to capture and reach out to a different audience, not just retirees, says Constantino. “So, we have our lunchtime meeting at noon on the second Tuesday of the month, and we also have an evening meeting at 6:30pm. The evening meeting is shorter, less formal. Just hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine!”

These meetings are not just social events, they are also meant to be educational. Guest speakers are invited to inspire and inform members about local and national current events. Recent guests included Jayme Dingler from Talbot Interfaith Shelter, Mary Wilson, a former White House staffer, and Bill Peak, who discussed how to write a memoir.

The Club is always searching for speakers, says Constantino. “We want something that would be interesting, intriguing, and add value to our members. Somethings health-related, something cultural related, something historical. I also would love to have separate special events, outside of our monthly meetings. A featured speaker who knows a lot about what’s happening in this area, for instance.”

No mention of the Talbot County Women’s Club would be complete without a peek into their meeting space. Dating back to the 1600s, the frame home eventually ended up in the hands of James Price in 1795. The Prices added a brick segment and moved into the newer section, never connecting the two dwellings. It passed on through generations until 1946 when for $4,000, the Club purchased the property. But the purchase came with a legend that was resurrected. Supposedly, James Price had a neighbor who, unbeknownst to the Prices, buried gold and treasures under the brick cellar floor as it was being built.

After the Club signed the deed, trespassers broke into the cellar and dug for gold. Whether something was found or not is unknown; however, the entire cellar floor had to be redone. This was only one of the many expenses the home needed to make it fit for occupancy. Through the efforts of many benefactors, donations, and sheer will, 18 Talbot Lane is the wonderful and quirky place it is today. It is worth a visit.

Meetings are posted on the Talbot County Women’s Club website, as is additional information about becoming a member. Guests are always welcome.

Avalon Theater: The Band Yarn

December 23, 2019 by Steve Parks

If the band Yarn, playing the Avalon Theater on Sunday, Dec. 29, has not yet achieved household name recognition, they have developed a loyal and growing following. They’re called “Yarmy,” as in Yarn’s army, bringing to mind other bands you may have heard of. Grateful Dead devotees famously were known as Deadheads. Never mind their favorite band never had a Billboard Top 10 single until “Touch of Gray” late in the Dead’s collective career. Similarly, Phish followers call themselves Phans. They traveled hither and yon to catch concerts by a band that’s never had a Top 10 single.

Yarn band members know all about life on the road and spinning yarns about their peripatetic touring to entertain loyal fans and win new ones. “That’s what we do,” says Yarn singer/songwriter Blake Christiana. “We tell stories, live and in the studio, truth, and fiction.”

With that in mind, Yarn launched a series of singles back in January digitally released on the 13th of each month of 2019. The project, now compiled into a “Lucky 13” collection, includes each month’s single plus an alternate version of one of the 12. “Our intention was to share what it’s like to spend time traveling from city to city, with all the unlikely experiences encountered along the way,” Christiana says.

You can expect Yarn to perform, at the very least, the December “Lucky 13” release, “Dreamtown,” as well as, perhaps, the March single, “What For?” released just before the band’s previous concert at the Avalon, upstairs in the cozy 60-seat-or-so Stoltz Listening Room. Yarn was so well-received that the group has graduated to the 400-seat main-stage theater.

The Yarn quartet self-describes its genre as “roots music from the shadows of skyscrapers.” Others call it “back-porch melodies and narratives.” The band plays an Americana blend of country, folk, and classic rock. Though some in the band hail from Raleigh, N.C., Yarn is based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and has a regular Monday night gig at Kenny’s Castaway in Greenwich Village. Yarn’s current tour takes it up and down the East Coast and, beginning in March, to Colorado, Utah, and Montana.

“There’s a different vibe onstage from what comes through in our recordings,” Christiana says of Yarn’s albums, beginning with the 2007 eponymous debut release. “There’s a difference in every show as well; you never know what you’re going to get.”

Of the “Lucky 13” album, Yarn guitarist and vocalist Rod Hohl says, “People always ask us to tell them road stories. While this batch of songs isn’t exactly literal road stories, most deal with some degree of adventure and adversity as inspired by our tours and treks around the country. Yet like any good story, there’s an imaginative element to it as well. That’s why we’ve decided to release alternate versions of some tracks to provide a glance at the oddities that exist just beyond sight.”

Yarn’s previous album, “This Is the Year,” was an optimistic look forward while acknowledging challenges in becoming a more widely recognized band. “We were dealing with real-life issues,” Christiana says candidly. “Broken relationships, a sense of having to regroup and put some things—and people—behind us. [Yarn’s quartet was once a sextet. Remaining Yarns include bassist Rick Bugel and drummer Robert Bonhomme.] What I was writing about lyrically . . . became kind of a catharsis. . . . Ultimately those setbacks and difficulties led to new opportunities and allowed a little light to shine through.”

Along their winding road, Yarn has earned four Grammy nominations and performed up to 170 concerts a year on the road, sharing the stage or opening for Leon Russell, Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels, Allison Krauss, Marty Stuart, and other headliners. They’ve also shared songwriting credits with John Oates of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame duo Hall & Oates.

Their hope now is that “Lucky 13” will become a prophetic title in their quest for wider fame and fortune. Meanwhile, you can catch them live in Easton. Opening for Yarn is Eastern Shore singer-songwriter Nate Clendenen.

Yarn in concert
7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29, Avalon Theater, 40 E. Dover St., Easton
Tickets: $25, 410-822-7299

Steve Parks is a retired journalist, arts writer and editor now living in Easton.

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For All Seasons Hosts Human Trafficking Awareness Workshops Across Region

December 16, 2019 by For All Seasons, Inc.

Katharine Petzold

Maryland has one of the highest rates of “domestic human trafficking in the nation,” according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and the Eastern Shore is not immune. To provide education on this important issue across the Mid Shore, For All Seasons is sponsoring regional presentations, “Open Your Eyes: Human Trafficking Awareness and Education,” in the month of January, National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The presentations are free and open to professionals working with the issue of human trafficking, such as social workers, healthcare workers, and law enforcement.

Katharine Petzold, Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator for For All Seasons, and Cara Rose, Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations, will present information about human trafficking – both sex and labor trafficking, its prevalence in our community, and ways to recognize its red flags.

Presentations will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and breakfast will be served beforehand at 9:15 a.m. The presentations include the Kent County Public Library, Chestertown Branch, on Thursday, January 9; the Queen Anne’s County Free Library, Centreville Branch, on Monday, January 13; the Caroline County Public Library, Denton Branch, on Tuesday, January 14; and the Dorchester County Public Library, Cambridge Branch, on Tuesday, January 21.

Cara Rose

In Talbot County, For All Seasons will be a contributing partner to Mid-Shore Behavioral Health’s 6^th Annual Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) meeting. Speakers at this meeting include Katharine Petzold, Cara Rose, Corporal Chris Heid of the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit; Patrick Wynn, Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Julie Crain, Founder and CEO of Harriet’s House. This event will be held at Temple B’nai Israel in Easton on Tuesday, January 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A light breakfast and lunch will be served. Registration is limited, with CEUs provided to the first 40 individuals to sign up.

Katharine Petzold, states, “These presentations, designed to shine a light on the often hidden and often misunderstood crime of human trafficking, will educate professionals on the reality of trafficking in our community. Through understanding and awareness, we can identify and better serve those who are at risk or may be involved in a trafficking situation. Come join us as a first step to creating a community free of trafficking.”

Limited seating will be available at each of the workshops. The cost is FREE to attend, and $25 if you sign up to receive three NASW CEUs at the Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, and Dorchester presentations. To register for any of the workshops, visit forallseasonsinc.org to register or call 410-822-1018, extension 219.

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First Night Talbot 2020 Celebrates the New Year in Downtown Easton

December 13, 2019 by Discover Easton

First Night Talbot 2020 will present its 26th annual New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31, 2019 in downtown Easton. First Night Talbot follows the traditions of the First Night movement that began in Boston in 1976. It is the only First Night celebration in the State of Maryland and provides a community-wide celebration through the arts without alcohol. First Night Talbot 2020 is pleased to echo the message of the previous years in continuing to address the need for strong and healthy communities.

Festivities take place in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues in downtown Easton, all hosting a mix of performers: choral and gospel music, dance, instrumental performances, live theater, storytelling, juggling, face painting, a photo booth, children’s crafts, family activities, and more. Entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with a full schedule and map of activities released in mid-December.

Crowds gathering for the Maryland Crab Drop and Parade of Sea Creatures.

The celebration includes two “Maryland Crab Drop” countdowns, made famous on CNN in 2014. The 9 p.m. “Midnight in the Mid-Atlantic” drop features a community parade of sea creatures down Harrison Street. To close the evening is the traditional midnight countdown and Crab Drop. The outdoor Crab Drops are always a very popular photo-op for families and friends.

“We are working with more community organizations to offer a variety of family-fun activities during First Night Talbot 2020,” Discover Easton Marketing & Events Coordinator Jeff Lankford said. “We look forward to introducing new performers and bringing back a few fan-favorites this year.”

Admission into every event venue for the entire evening can be made by purchasing an artful, collectible “Crab Button” for $10/adult, $5/student (through college), and children under 5 are free. Buttons may also be purchased in advance this December at firstnighttalbot.org

About Discover Easton: Discover Easton is a marketing, promotion and events non-profit organization operating as a member of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. The mission of Discover Easton is to enhance, promote and preserve the vitality of Easton’s independent merchants which benefit business owners, residents, and visitors; and to bring awareness to the Town’s historical roots and lifestyles. For more information regarding Discover Easton and its events, please visit discovereaston.com or email welcome@discovereaston.com. Stay connected to Discover Easton on social media: @discovereaston.

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