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September 22, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

Health Health Notes

Choptank Health Expands School-Based Dental Health

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Choptank Community Health System’s Kim Fitzgerald, CRNP at one of the School-Based Health Centers serving children with medical and dental health services for all students enrolled in the program.

Choptank Community Health recently added school-based dental services to Kent, and Queen Anne’s County public school student enrollees. Choptank Health’s dental services are already provided in Dorchester County Public Schools, with dental and medical services available to students enrolled in the school-based health programs of Caroline and Talbot County Public Schools.

Choptank Community Health’s Chief Dental Officer Sandra Garbely- Kerkovich, DMD and Community Based Program Director Chrissy Bartz, PAC, MMS oversee the school-based dental program, with Pre-K through 12th-grade students enrolled in each school are eligible to receive care at any location.

Registered dental hygienists provide on-site dental screenings, fluoride treatments, sealant applications, and dental hygiene education. The free dental screenings include examinations of the teeth and all soft tissues of the mouth—along with instruction on brushing and flossing, and education on the importance of eating healthy foods in good oral hygiene.

“Strong partnerships with the area’s local school systems are critical to the impact our School-Based Health Centers have on the wellness of all students,” said Choptank Community Health CEO Sara Rich. “We are thankful for the commitment of each school and county for recognizing the importance of this program in helping to provide access to health care for all.”

Choptank Community Health operates 12 medical school-based health centers, located in each Caroline County Public School and in Talbot County Public School’s Easton Elementary, Easton Middle, and Easton High Schools.

“School-Based Health Centers improve attendance by limiting the amount of time students and staff miss from school and work by providing the care they need, and then allowing them to return to school as appropriate,” says Bartz. “It’s a great service to our students, their parents, our schools, and ultimately our entire communities.”

Each medical health center is staffed by licensed advanced practice clinicians, including Certified Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, and function like a typical doctor’s office. Choptank Health is offering telehealth and curbside visits at the schools for COVID testing, with quarantining protocols and separate well-child spaces on premise.

According to the School-Based Health Alliance, school-based health care is a powerful tool for achieving health equity among children and adolescents who unjustly experience disparities in outcomes simply because of their race, ethnicity, or family income.

The Alliance says school-based health care is also a commonsense idea gaining currency across the country as it places critically needed services like medical, behavioral, dental, and vision care directly in schools so that all young people, no matter their zip code, have equal opportunity to learn and grow. More about the Alliance is at sbh4all.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s mission is to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all. Choptank Health’s vision is to improve the health and well-being of people in the communities served by providing outstanding care experiences while being an exceptional place to work and make a difference.

Parents and guardians can enroll their students in Choptank Community Health’s School-Based Health Centers by calling their school’s health staff or Health Center, with more at choptankhealth.org.

The Garfield Center Announces Their 2022 Season of Live Theatrical Productions

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The Garfield Center for the Arts has finished planning for its first full slate of theatrical productions since 2019. The 2022 season will feature two comedies, a thought-provoking and well-timed drama, a big, splashy, family-friendly musical and the return of everyone’s favorite annual short play festival.

Starting off the 2022 season with a bang will be The Play That Goes Wrong, an outrageous comedy by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields. The production will be directed by GCA’s Executive Director Steven Arnold. Performances will run weekends from February 11 through February 27, 2022. A smash hit farce and worlwide phenomenon, welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. On the surface, this seems to be a 1920s whodunit. But the play is really about the actors attempting to perform it, because in this laugh-a-minute comedy, featuring an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, falling set pieces and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), absolutely everything that can go wrong in the performance does, indeed, go wrong. The accident-prone thespians will attempt to battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences along the way! Part Noises Off, part Monty Python, this Olivier Award–winning comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences in stitches!

Coinciding with Chestertown’s Pride Festival is The Laramie Project, written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The production will be directed by Charles Michael Moore. Performances will run weekends from April 22 through May 8, 2022. The play is a deeply moving portrait of Matthew Shepard, Laramie, Wyoming and a terrible crime that made an indelible mark on the American psyche. Playwright Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half, in the aftermath of Shepard’s beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town, and the result is a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.

Everyone’s favorite cherished theatre tradition, Short Attention Span Theatre, continues with weekend performances from June 24 through July 10, 2022. Frequently featuring new works by local playwrights, SAST is the Eastern Shore’s premiere short play festival featuring eight ten-minute plays that never fail to entertain our audience while promising to hold their attention for “Just. Long. Enough.”

In September, the GCA will present the Broadway comedy hit The Good Doctor. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Bonnie Hill, it is a funny and clever marriage between Simon’s snappy dialogue and the sometimes outrageous, sometimes wistful, often ironic works of Anton Chekhov. The stories are droll, the portraits affectionate, the humor infectious, and the fun unending. In one sketch, a government clerk over-apologizes and has a nervous breakdown after accidentally sneezing on a general during a night out at the opera. In another sketch, a crafty seducer goes to work on a wedded woman, only to realize that the woman has been in command from the first overture. And then there’s the visit to the chair of a frighteningly overzealous Dentist. And let us not forget the classic tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles. It’s a modern take on the essence of Chekov – sometimes absurd, sometimes melancholy, but always incredibly engaging. The Good Doctor runs September 16 through October 2, 2022.

Closing the season in an absolutely spectacular way, GCA’s good friend Jen Friedman will take up the directing mantle as we bring the glory and pageantry of the hit musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to the stage. Written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the show features a smash hit score, which includes the memorable songs Close Every Door and Any Dream Will Do. Told entirely through song with the help of a Narrator, the musical follows preferred son Joseph who, after being sold into slavery by his brothers, ingratiates himself with Egyptian noble Potiphar but ends up in jail after refusing the amorous advances of Potiphar’s wife. While imprisoned, Joseph discovers his ability to interpret dreams, and he soon finds himself in front of the mighty but troubled, Elvis-inspired, Pharaoh. Joseph’s solution to Egypt’s famine elevates him to Pharaoh’s right-hand man and reunites him with his family. This family-friendly event, which will have you singing and tapping your feet long after its final curtain, runs weekends from December 2 through 18, 2022.

Additional information can be found on the Garfield Center for the Arts’ website at www.garfieldcenter.org. Tickets will go on sale starting in January, 2022.

Details Set for this Saturday’s Easton Airport Day

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The details are set and the Easton Airport community is ready to kick off the 12th annual Easton Airport Day, sponsored by Scott & Tracy Wagner, this Saturday, September 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free community event will offer the entire family an opportunity to visit the local airfield and see what flying is all about.

Rare and unique aircraft and military planes will be on display throughout the event. Aircraft expected to attend include the World Word II C-47, Placid Lassie, which dropped paratroopers in France on D-Day in 1944. Socata Epsilons and Beechcraft Mentors will participate in the greatest numbers this year accompanied by North American T-6s, Russian Yak-52s, and Chinese Nanchang CJ-6s. The Maryland Air National Guard will have an A-10 Thunderbolt on display along with the Maryland State Police Helicopter, Trooper 6.

Photo credit: Bruce Vinel

Opening ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. on the airport’s Terminal Ramp. Members of the Easton VFW will present and display our nation’s colors. Talbot County Sheriff’s Deputy First Class John Coleman will perform the National Anthem.

The Terminal Ramp will host static aircraft displays with great photo-ops, first responders, military displays, non-profit organizations, and the Aviation Career Education (ACE) Tent, sponsored by Sundance, Kitchen, Bath & Exteriors.

The ACE Tent will provide guests an opportunity to learn about aviation from industry experts. Civil Air Patrol, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Aviation Youth Mentorship Program, Chesapeake Sport Pilot, Maryland Air, and Trident Aircraft will all participate. The tent will also serve as the central hub for event information and Easton Airport Day merchandise.

Fly Aloft Aerial Photography and Biplane Rides will raffle a ride in their 1942 Stearman biplane, also on display near the ACE Tent. The first 500 people to visit the ACE Tent, snap a picture, and post it to social media with #EastonAirport will get a free chicken sandwich voucher from Chick-fil-A Easton.

Photo credit: Bruce Vinel

Easton Police will demonstrate their Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Unit around 11 a.m. on the Terminal Ramp. The unit is comprised of newly acquired Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and the licensed officers that operate them.

The Warbird Ramp will be open 10:30-11:45 a.m. for up-close looks at the aircraft participating in formation flying. Warbird pilots will jump in their cockpits at noon for engines start and takeoff. They will spend an hour practicing formation flying with multiple passes over the skies of Easton.

The world-famous Rubber Chicken Drop Contest, sponsored by Bluepoint Hospitality, will delight the crowd around 1 p.m. As the Warbird pilots return to the airport, they skillfully attempt to hit the bed of a pickup truck with a rubber chicken. Pilots look forward to this challenge every year. Some have even custom designed their own “chicken launchers” for their aircraft.

Car enthusiasts will enjoy the Classic & Unique Car Display, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in front of the Easton Airport Terminal. Classic cars, hot rods, and unique vehicles of all types, models, and years will be on display during the event. Local food vendors will be onsite providing lunch, sweets, drinks, and tasty treats for sale. There is no ATM at Easton Airport, so please bring cash.

“The weather is going to be fantastic and we have an awesome event planned,” Easton Airport Manager Micah Risher said. “We have made some changes this year to accommodate more guests and provide all of our visitors a great day at the airport.”

The event is free to attend and there is no fee for parking. Attendants will be onsite to help event guests find appropriate parking spaces on airport property and handing out event maps with schedules. Additional handicapped parking will be provided near the terminal.

Be prepared for long treks, displays and activities are located all over the airport grounds. Appropriate outerwear and apparel is suggested, family fun is expected.

A full schedule of activities, event map, and more details are available online now at www.eastonairportday.com. Follow Easton Airport on Facebook and Instagram @EastonAirport for event information and live updates.

About Easton Airport Day: Easton Airport Day is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Proceeds from donors and sponsors support the cost of the event with remaining funds supporting Aviation Career Education (ACE) Programs. These programs provide students the opportunity to explore careers in the aerospace industry, and provide resources and support to aid their vocational pursuit.

Talbot County Public Schools Recognizes Advanced Placement Scholars

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The Board of Education recognized students who have achieved the status of Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar through their performance on AP exams during their September meeting.  AP exams are scored on a 5-point scale, with many colleges and universities granting credits for scores of 3, 4 or 5. A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam indicates that a student is considered “qualified” for college credit and capable of being successful in a college level introductory course in the particular content area.

There are 3 levels of AP Scholar, with definitions as follows:

AP Scholar with Distinction – Average score of 3.5 or higher; scores of3 or higher on five or more exams

AP Scholar with Honor – Average score of 3.25 or higher; scores of 3 or higher on four or more Exams

AP Scholar – Score of 3 or higher on three or more exams.

Dr. Helga Einhorn, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction shared performance trends in AP testing over the past seven years, in addition to data for the 2020-2021 school year.  A total of 359 students took at least one of the Advanced Placement tests given last year.  Of the 538 tests taken, 242 or 45% earned a qualifying score of 3 or above

“I would like to highlight an important aspect of our AP data this year,” said Dr. Helga Einhorn, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction during her presentation.“While we still have work to do in ensuring commensurate enrollment by race in our AP programs, we did see an increase overall in the number of students of color who enrolled and took AP exams last year. This is a result of our district racial equity focus over time as well as our partnership with Equal Opportunity Schools.  This will continue to be a priority to make sure we are fostering higher-level course opportunities for all students.”

“Given the immense challenges of last year, TCPS should be proud of the number of students who continued to challenge themselves to do higher level coursework and who were successful in earning qualifying scores on the Advanced Placement exams,” Dr. Einhorn concluded.

The following members of the Class of 2022 earned Advanced Placement Scholar Recognition:

AP Scholar with Distinction: Victoria Batley, David Beakley

AP Scholar with Honor: Calvin Davis, Rachel Davis, Harrison Fike, Desmond Fitzroy, Julia Fitzroy, Sophie Leight, Anna Lesher, Mariana Parkinson

AP Scholar: William Burgess, Riyanna Desai, Ahmed Ezzaki, David Gardner, Chiara Kalinski, Gregory Meredith, Emily Middleton, Liam Nuthall, James O’Connor, Madeline Principe, Spencer Rada, Ava Reid, Stevie Shaak, Zachary Spofford, Elaina Steinly

The following students are Talbot County Public Schools’ Advanced Placement Scholars for the Class of 2021:

AP Scholar with Distinction: Luke Adelman, Andre Davis, Elizabeth Harris, Giselle Harris, Matthew Herron, Molly Johnson, Carter Kelly, Kristin Lednum, Maxwell McCall, Naiset Perez, Catherine Toby

AP Scholar with Honor: Lillianna Ball, Jadon Cornish, Jane DeLashmutt, Logan Devaric, Van Arden Dukehart, Molly Fullerton, William Haufe, Madelyn LaBelle, Vladislav Rada, Cindy Rodriguez, Hannah Seek

AP Scholar: Karli Abbott, Owen Baum, Henry Booth, Thomas Brennan, Chloe Briner, Katherine Chapple, James DeLauder, Michael Disilvestro, Emily Dobson, Bradley Duley, Daniela Garcia, Julia Hammons, Bree Haufe, Julie Ireland, Nicolas Lopez, Andrew Matsche, Sarah Mooney, Madeline Morrell, Charles Mueller, Lukas Nilsen, Zoe Pochron, Reid Roach, Anna Roser, Raffaele Verteramo

Talbot Hospice to Host William Paul Young, Author of “The Shack”

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Talbot Hospice will welcome William Paul Young to the Avalon Theater on October 28th for a discussion about his #1 bestseller, “The Shack” and how it relates to grief, healing, forgiveness and spirituality.

“We are proud to welcome William Paul Young to Easton and hope that our friends and neighbors will join us for this free community event,” said Chris Chekouras, Talbot Hospice Executive Director. “’The Shack’ is a wonderful starting point for introspection and engaging conversations about how we process grief, shame and forgiveness.”

Talbot Hospice will welcome William Paul Young, author of the #1 Bestseller, The Shack, to the Avalon Theater on October 28th.

“The Shack” tells the story of Mack, a father struggling with the tragic loss of his daughter on a family trip to the Pacific Northwest. Four years after her horrific death, Mack receives a letter, supposedly from God, inviting him to spend a weekend in the shack where his daughter was violently murdered. Mack accepts and then has a life-changing experience that allows him to understand and cope with his grief and shame.

“The Shack,” as described by the author, is a metaphor for the “house we build out of our own pain” as well as “the places you get stuck, you get hurt, you get damaged … the thing where shame or hurt is centered.”

“The Shack” was originally written as a Christmas gift for Young’s six children, but was later published in 2007 at the urging of Young’s friends and colleagues. It went on to become a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Bestseller and, to date, it has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. In 2017 it was adapted into a feature film starring Academy Award Winner, Octavia Spencer, and Grammy Award Winner, Tim McGraw.

This free, community event is open to the public, however, registration required. Attendees should note that the Avalon Theater requires proof of vaccination and a photo ID for admission.

To register, please visit www.talbothospice.org/events.

About Talbot Hospice

Talbot Hospice provides compassionate care, comfort and support for patients and their families and caregivers wherever they call home. Talbot Hospice serves patients facing life-limiting illnesses through hospice and palliative care, as well as its pathways and bereavement programs. Services are available to patients and caregivers regardless of ability to pay. Learn more at www.talbothospice.org.

Country School Students Take on the 40-Book Challenge

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The Upper School English team at The Country School has thrown down the gauntlet and made the 40-Book Challenge the goal this year for all of its 5th through 8th grade students.

With this challenge, students are encouraged to stretch themselves as readers, selecting from a variety of genres—both favorites and not-yet-favorites—to read a total of 40 books during the school year.

In all classes at The Country School, students have considered what kinds of books they already enjoy, and what genres, with more exposure, they might learn to appreciate more. They’ve set personal reading goals to be worked toward, along with a set of reading goals that will be incorporated into classroom instruction. For example, seventh graders later this year will research a person and then write a mystery podcast about them. This will mean students are reading several biographies in class so that multiple books in the biography genre are included in their 40-Book Challenge plan.

Sixth grader Sunny Chandler reads in her classroom.

“We can best serve our students if we can help them to see reading as not limited to English class, or even just for school, but as a life habit,” said Becky Amaral, 6th and 7th Grade English teacher.

Recognizing that reading is a significant predictor of success in life, reading for fun is built into the daily schedule for all Country School students. Summer book clubs are led not just by teachers, but by a corps of volunteers from all school departments who model for students what it means to be a lifelong reader. This message is consistent with that of parents who participate in their own book clubs show their children that reading is for everyone, and it’s for always.

“There is a range of texts that we are open to including in the challenge,” said Amaral. “Ultimately, the goal is to push our students to read, read, read. And along the way, we hope they find new worlds to explore and ideas that inspire.”

August Dead Zone is Bad News for the Bay

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation raised concerns about Bay restoration efforts following the August dead zone report. The report, from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University, found that dissolved oxygen conditions in Maryland and Virginia were worse than average this August following two better-than average months. The report attributed the increased size of the dead zone to significantly warmer than average temperatures, lower-than-average wind speeds, and greater-than-average precipitation.

The Bay’s living resources, including fish, crabs, and oysters, require healthy levels of oxygen to survive. For example, Atlantic sturgeon, a federally endangered species, require 5 mg/l of dissolved oxygen throughout their range.  An expanding dead zone may curtail recovery efforts for this ancient fish.

“Warmer waters and greater precipitation, both hallmarks of climate change, are a growing threat to the Bay and its living resources,” said CBF’s Maryland Senior Scientist Doug Myers. “Combined with declines in both the number of crabs and acreage of Bay grasses, it is clear that we must significantly ramp up efforts to reduce pollution and combat climate change.”

Time is running out for the watershed states to adopt the Bay restoration practices and policies they committed to in the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. While Maryland and Virginia have plans to achieve the 2025 goal, additional funding and implementation are critical. Pennsylvania’s plan, however, is sorely deficient and the Commonwealth needs to increase spending by more than $300 million dollars annually to implement a plan that falls short of achieving Pennsylvania’s clean water commitments.

These plans require farmers, primarily in Pennsylvania, to achieve 80 percent of the remaining pollution reduction necessary by the 2025 deadline. That means that farmers will have to significantly increase the use of conservation practices.

Conservation practices, such as planting forested buffers and rotating where livestock graze, are among the most cost-effective ways to reduce pollution from agriculture. The same practices also help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon as well as boost local economies by creating jobs and generating business in the community.

Achieving the Blueprint goals will require more than just conservation funding. All the federal partners must step up to the plate. To date, EPA has failed to meet its Clean Water Act responsibilities by refusing to hold Pennsylvania, and to a lesser extent New York, accountable for failure to develop plans that meet the Blueprint requirements.

More than a year ago, CBF and its partners Anne Arundel County, The Maryland Waterman’s Association, Robert Whitescarver and Jeanne Hoffman, and the State Attorneys General for Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia filed suit in federal court.  To date that litigation continues, and EPA has not taken action.

“The good news is that CBF is working with a broad range of partners to increase conservation funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, partners are working to put in place a program in Pennsylvania that would, for the first time, provide significant state funding for conservation practices,” said Alison Prost, CBF Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration. “The bad news is that without EPA leadership to hold the states accountable, and additional conservation funding, the Blueprint will be just another failed effort to save the Bay.”

Talbot County Public Schools Recognizes Advanced Placement Scholars

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The Board of Education recognized students who have achieved the status of Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar through their performance on AP exams during their September meeting.  AP exams are scored on a 5-point scale, with many colleges and universities granting credits for scores of 3, 4 or 5. A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam indicates that a student is considered “qualified” for college credit and capable of being successful in a college level introductory course in the particular content area.

There are 3 levels of AP Scholar, with definitions as follows:

AP Scholar with Distinction – Average score of 3.5 or higher; scores of3 or higher on five or more exams

AP Scholar with Honor – Average score of 3.25 or higher; scores of 3 or higher on four or more Exams

AP Scholar – Score of 3 or higher on three or more exams.

Dr. Helga Einhorn, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction shared performance trends in AP testing over the past seven years, in addition to data for the 2020-2021 school year.  A total of 359 students took at least one of the Advanced Placement tests given last year.  Of the 538 tests taken, 242 or 45% earned a qualifying score of 3 or above

“I would like to highlight an important aspect of our AP data this year,” said Dr. Helga Einhorn, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction during her presentation.“While we still have work to do in ensuring commensurate enrollment by race in our AP programs, we did see an increase overall in the number of students of color who enrolled and took AP exams last year. This is a result of our district racial equity focus over time as well as our partnership with Equal Opportunity Schools.  This will continue to be a priority to make sure we are fostering higher-level course opportunities for all students.”

“Given the immense challenges of last year, TCPS should be proud of the number of students who continued to challenge themselves to do higher level coursework and who were successful in earning qualifying scores on the Advanced Placement exams,” Dr. Einhorn concluded.

The following members of the Class of 2022 earned Advanced Placement Scholar Recognition:

AP Scholar with Distinction: Victoria Batley, David Beakley

AP Scholar with Honor: Calvin Davis, Rachel Davis, Harrison Fike, Desmond Fitzroy, Julia Fitzroy, Sophie Leight, Anna Lesher, Mariana Parkinson

AP Scholar: William Burgess, Riyanna Desai, Ahmed Ezzaki, David Gardner, Chiara Kalinski, Gregory Meredith, Emily Middleton, Liam Nuthall, James O’Connor, Madeline Principe, Spencer Rada, Ava Reid, Stevie Shaak, Zachary Spofford, Elaina Steinly

The following students are Talbot County Public Schools’ Advanced Placement Scholars for the Class of 2021:

AP Scholar with Distinction: Luke Adelman, Andre Davis, Elizabeth Harris, Giselle Harris, Matthew Herron, Molly Johnson, Carter Kelly, Kristin Lednum, Maxwell McCall, Naiset Perez, Catherine Toby

AP Scholar with Honor: Lillianna Ball, Jadon Cornish, Jane DeLashmutt, Logan Devaric, Van Arden Dukehart, Molly Fullerton, William Haufe, Madelyn LaBelle, Vladislav Rada, Cindy Rodriguez, Hannah Seek

AP Scholar:  Karli Abbott, Owen Baum, Henry Booth, Thomas Brennan, Chloe Briner, Katherine Chapple, James DeLauder, Michael Disilvestro, Emily Dobson, Bradley Duley, Daniela Garcia, Julia Hammons, Bree Haufe, Julie Ireland, Nicolas Lopez, Andrew Matsche, Sarah Mooney, Madeline Morrell, Charles Mueller, Lukas Nilsen, Zoe Pochron, Reid Roach, Anna Roser, Raffaele Verteramo

For All Seasons Makes Appointments to Leadership Roles

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For All Seasons welcomes three new employees to fill leadership positions within the organization. Courtney Calloway, LCSW-C, was appointed Assistant Clinical Director; Doug Mayorga was appointed as Human Resources Manager; and Emily Moody, LCSW-C, was appointed as Associate Clinical Director.

“We are so excited to welcome these new team members. The agency is undergoing significant growth and we look forward to the energy, expertise, and experience each of these staff brings to the For All Seasons team,” comments Beth Anne Langrell, CEO.

Calloway of Easton has experience in both the mental health and medical social work fields, training extensively in working with clients of all ages from a trauma-focused approach. Most recently, she worked as a Renal Social Worker for Regional Point Social Work and DaVita Dialysis Inc. She has training in a variety of treatment modalities, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and Expressive therapies (art, movement, mindfulness, and play). Previously, she was a therapist with For All Seasons focusing on both school-based and adult therapy. She has completed a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Salisbury University and an Associate of Arts in liberal arts from Chesapeake College.

L-R: Courtney Calloway, LCSW-C, was appointed Assistant Clinical Director at For All Seasons. Doug Mayorga was appointed as Human Resources Manager at For All Seasons. Emily Moody, LCSW-C, was appointed as Associate Clinical Director at For All Seasons.

She comments, “I had maintained connections with everyone when I left For All Seasons. I came back to the agency because of the team and the reputation the agency has in the community.”

Mayorga of Easton was previously the Human Resources Specialist & Wellness Coordinator at Choptank Transport where he managed employee relations and records in multiple regional office locations, assisted with fundraising and philanthropic events, and helped to redesign the company’s plan benefits package. He also established an all-encompassing wellness initiative for the company, focusing on the physical, emotional, and financial wellness of employees. Before working in Human Resources, he had several management positions, handling hiring, training, and team building in the retail industry. Mayorga is also owner and CEO of Talls Home Baked where he designs, bakes, and decorates custom home-baked delicacies. He attended Chesapeake College. His volunteer work has included CASA of Caroline County, The Salvation Army, Talbot Hospice, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Talbot Humane Society, Caroline County Humane Society, Baywater Animal Rescue, Preston Elementary School, Denton Elementary School, Federalsburg Elementary School, and Junior Achievement.

“Being a part of the For All Seasons team, to me, means being a part of something bigger than myself. For me, being a resource for the employees and being able to provide support and guidance is what gets me out of bed every morning. My desire to help people is what drew me to this agency. Beth Anne and I have had many conversations around the need for a human resources representative, and I am here to answer that call,” says Mayorga.

Moody of Easton worked most recently as a Family Liaison at Easton Elementary School through the Talbot County Public Schools and as a therapist at Peace of Mind Mental Health Services in Easton. She also worked for almost ten years in a large community mental health agency. Through these positions, she gained experience treating children, adults, and adolescents in mental health, addictions and trauma. She also worked with families to connect them to community resources, coordinating with local mental health agencies and other services. She is certified as an ACEs Master Presenter, providing training on Adverse Childhood Experiences, and as a Mindfulness Teacher through Mindful Schools. She also is co-founder and co-coordinator of the CarePacks program, providing meals to vulnerable students when school is not in session. Moody has completed a Master of Social Work from The Catholic University of America, National Catholic School of Social Service, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College. In 2020, she received both the J. Sam Meek Unsung Hero Award from the Talbot County Public Schools and the J. McKenney Willis Jr. Award from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation for her work with to CarePacks of Talbot County.

“I’m thrilled to join an organization with such a passionate commitment to meeting the mental health needs of this community. It’s an honor to become part of this talented team, and I look forward to expanding conversations about treatment, recovery, and hope with the clients and community we serve,” Moody states.

For All Seasons provides the highest level of mental health and victim services to children, adults and families across the Mid-Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy and 24-hour crisis hotlines. For further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

Troika Gallery Owner Donates Anna Murray Douglass Portrait to TCFL

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Troika Gallery Owner/Portrait Artist Laura Era stopped by the Talbot County Free Library on Wednesday to unveil her new Anna Murray Douglass portrait that she has given to the Easton branch.

Anna Murray Douglass was the first wife of Frederick Douglass, helped him escape slavery, and supported his work as an abolitionist for over 44 years. Era also painted and donated a portrait of Frederick Douglass to the library as a part of last year’s Frederick Douglass Day.

Troika Gallery Owner/Portrait Artist Laura Era (Left) stopped by the Talbot County Free Library on Wednesday to unveil her new Anna Murray Douglass portrait that she has given to the Easton branch.

For her newest portrait, Era discovered inspiration from a black and white photograph of Anna Murray Douglass, which she described as being a perfect complement to her portrait of Frederick Douglass. Although the photograph was in black and white, Era found this to be an opportunity to create a unique portrait using colors like teal, blue and gray.

“I was truly honored to paint both of these extremely notable Americans, and we thought it was so appropriate that he needed his first wife to join him in the Frederick Douglass room,” said Era. “I found out when reading about Anna, that she was extremely important to him and his success. She represents a foundation and backbone to Frederick.”

Laura Era discovered inspiration from a black and white photograph of Anna Murray Douglass, and found this to be an opportunity to create a unique portrait using colors like teal, blue and gray.

Era knew she wanted to create a portrait that truly represents history tying into the roots of the Tri-county area. She started the portrait in April and managed to complete it by early September, in time for Frederick Douglass Day, which will take place on Saturday, September 25.

The Frederick Douglass Honor Society, in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library, The Town of Easton, Talbot County Government, and other partners will hold a virtual celebration on that day to honor Frederick Douglass. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with Era unveiling the Anna Murray Douglass portrait at 11 a.m.

“I would like to thank Laura Era for this wonderful portrait that serves as a reminder to all that will see it at the Easton library of everything Anna Murray Douglass did, from helping Frederick Douglass to escape from slavery to the support she gave his abolitionist work throughout her life,” said Talbot County Free Library Director Dana Newman.

About Talbot County Free Library

The Talbot County Free Library (TCFL) has been a fundamental center for knowledge through books and digital devices that is offered to locals and visitors alike. There are two locations: The main library in Easton is located at 100 W. Dover St., and the St. Michael branch is at, 106 Fremont St. You can find the Maryland Room in the Easton location. It holds a voluminous collection of genealogical resources and historical documents. Services both locations offer include free Wi-Fi, special talks, exhibits, and programs for adults and children. For more information, visit ww.tcfl.org. Be sure to like the library on Facebook and follow on Instagram @Talbotcountyfreelibrary.