The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community
Bruce Jones
Conversation: “What’s Good and Bad About Talbot County” with Bruce Jones.
Discuss how Talbot County compares with other counties within Maryland with regards to education, rates of crime, housing availability, social services, transportation, infrastructure, and more. Choose between a Live Zoom Class or Recorded Class, Friday / September 25 / 10:30- noon, $5. Go to www.chesapeakeforum.org to register.
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is pleased to announce closing on a new conservation easement! The easement, completed in partnership with the U.S. Army and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR), protects 441 acres of agricultural land and critical species habitat with scenic value, off Back Creek and McGill Creek in Cecil County.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust, which protects a property’s agricultural viability, natural habitat, rural heritage, and/or scenic open space in perpetuity.
Aerial of RCA Building
The newly preserved property is the Bracebridge Hall location for Recovery Centers of America (RCA), whose mission is to save 1 million lives from the disease of addiction using evidence-based practices and clinical expertise to deliver quality patient care tailored to individual patients’ needs. The property is 530 acres in total, with 89 acres of unprotected land to allow for the expansion of Bracebridge Hall’s buildings as necessary for operations.
“We are thrilled to partner with ESLC and want to be good stewards of the natural landscape that makes Recovery Centers of America Bracebridge Hall such a unique environment for treating substance use disorder,” said Michael Ogden, Bracebridge Hall CEO. “Our patients are able to commune with nature right on the property and this ability to step outside and appreciate the beauty of the natural landscape without drugs or alcohol can be an important tool for reeestablishing the benefits of a meaningful life in long term recovery.”
This easement brings ESLC’s total to 303across 65,052acres on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and it is one of the Conservancy’s most unique easements based on its use beyond agriculture.
Over the course of 30 years, ESLC has actively worked with thousands of farms, families and community members to protect and enhance the Eastern Shore’s working agricultural landscape. Cecil County has had several big conservation wins – and this is surely one to celebrate.
“Conservation of Bracebridge Hall has been a huge priority for well over a decade,” said ESLC President Rob Etgen. “When this beautiful property was subdivided into over 100 lots potentially destroying the farm soils and habitat, the community partnered with ESLC to strive for a better future. With Recovery Centers of America, a positive steward for the land has been found and a permanent conservation easement will ensure that stewardship lasts into perpetuity. Many thanks to RCA for your commitment to conservation, and congratulations to the community for your long vigilance!”
This project was made possible thanks to financial support from Maryland Department of Resources’ Rural Legacy Program and the U.S. Army’s Compatible Use Buffer Program.
Waterfront View
The Rural Legacy Program was created in 1997 to protect large, contiguous tracts of Maryland’s most precious cultural and natural resource lands (often referred to as “the best of what’s left”) through grants made to local applicants
The U.S. Army’s Compatible Use Buffer Program works with conservation-focused partners to preserve high-value habitat and limit incompatible development in the vicinity of military installations.
ESLC Land Program Manager, David Satterfield said, “Our staff is grateful to DNR and the Army for their dedication to this project. Their support and hard work was instrumental in helping us realize this long-term protection goal. Even more so, we applaud Recovery Centers of America for their dedication to conservation. Our staff looks forward to working with them, in perpetuity, to protect this important resource and hope that it helps guide many of their clients to a healthy future.”
For more information, contact Land Program Manager, David Satterfield, atdstatterfield@eslc.org, or visit www.eslc.org.
About Recovery Centers of America
RCA provides substance use disorder treatment in MD, PA, NJ, MA, and IL. Patients can obtain immediate care by calling 1-800-Recovery.Four Recovery Centers of America treatment facilities, were recently named as 2020 best U.S. treatment facilities that focus on addiction by Newsweek Magazine, including RCA at Bracebridge Hall and RCA Capital Region, both located in Maryland.
About the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a private, nonprofit land conservation organization committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. For more information please visit www.eslc.org.
ShoreRivers educator Rebecca Murphy (left), teachers and students investigate critters pulled from a seine net on the Choptank River.
ShoreRivers supporters are now able to donate to the organization’s education program and receive state tax credits in addition to their typical deduction. ShoreRivers has been awarded Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC) through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to incentivize donations that support environmental education programs in Eastern Shore public schools.
ShoreRivers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that restores and protects Eastern Shore waterways through science-based restoration, education, and advocacy. With regional offices in Galena, Chestertown, and Easton, the ShoreRivers education department has partnered with public schools for over seven years to provide grant-funded science and environmental programs that support students and schools in meeting graduation requirements, cultivate the next generation of river stewards, and introduce students to environmental career opportunities.
ShoreRivers’ education programs include elementary and high school environmental and science curriculum, cost-free field experiences, and funds that support student-driven projects that reduce pollution and increase environmental awareness at their schools.
ShoreRivers Director of Education Suzanne Sullivan explains why the CITC program is so important, especially this year. “Our schools are facing immense challenges in facilitating at-home, remote learning. ShoreRivers is creating solutions to those challenges while supporting annual science and environmental learning. The CITC program comes at a critical time to allow ShoreRivers to focus on the programs, teachers, and students when they need it most.”
Since 1997, the CITC program has awarded Maryland tax credits through a competitive application process. The program provides benefits that include allowing nonprofits to enhance revenue, offer creative tax relief for business and individual donors, target impacts in communities, and increase visibility and support for nonprofit programs. The tremendous impact of the CITC program speaks for itself with over $3.1 million donated to various Maryland nonprofits in 2018 alone.
In order to qualify, gifts must be a minimum of $500 and the individual or business donor must file taxes in the state of Maryland. To make a donation today, visit ShoreRivers.org/donate and indicate “Education Tax Credits” in the comments box under gift preferences. Tax credits are limited and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. If you’d like to learn more about the program, contact Rebekah Hock at rhock@shorerivers.org.
ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.
shorerivers.org
The Phillips Wharf Environmental Center’s Board of Directors has recently accepted the resignation of Kelley Phillips Cox, with Cox citing medical reasons for the move. The Board has named Cox Executive Director Emerita to honor her role as the nonprofit’s founder and first director.
Cox continues to volunteer for the nonprofit that carries her family name, helping with grant writing and administration, among other operational support.
“I’m very much still involved,” said Cox. “Right now, I need to make my health my priority, especially during the COVID pandemic. All the work Phillips Wharf does is still at my heart, and I am continuing to work with our community partners and assist with grants—all which will help to expand their aquaculture and education programs.”
“We are extremely grateful for Kelley’s leadership and service to the nonprofit that will always carry her family’s name,” said Phillips Wharf Board President Matt Albers. “Because of Kelley, we can continue to grow in the services provided as we educate more children and adults about Chesapeake Bay aquaculture and more.”
Kelley Phillips Cox
Albers says the Board is now overseeing PWEC’s limited operations due to the COVID pandemic, and plans to begin a new executive director search by spring 2021.
Cox is a Tilghman Island native who founded Phillips Wharf Environmental Center in 2005 on property that once served as a seafood packinghouse as part of Cox’s family lineage. Cox’s family includes multi-generations of Chesapeake Bay watermen, with Cox receiving her marine biology degree from Salisbury University in pursuit of her passion for science. Her research and expertise are focused on estuarine aquaculture and the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem, with experience as a project WET certified instructor.
Cox continues to be actively involved with numerous regional organizations, including the Maryland Association of Outdoor and Environmental Educators, Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association, National Marine Educators Association, National Science Teachers Association, and the Maryland Oyster Advisory Commission. She is the recipient of MAEOE’s 2014 Robert Finton Maryland Environmental Educator of the Year Award and its 2018 Heritage Heroes Award. Talbot County’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism recognized Cox with its2019 Community Impact Award.
Phillips Wharf’s mission is to encourage, educate, and engage Chesapeake Bay stewards of all ages through interactive experiences highlighting the Bay’s ecosystem and its inhabitants, with more at phillipswharf.org.
Adkins Arboretum has received funding from the Gray Charitable Trust to create a virtual “Birds, Bees, and Dandelion Seeds” field trip program. Nearly 1,000 second-graders in Queen Anne’s and Caroline County Public Schools will participate in the week-long program to learn about plants, pollinators, seed dispersal and Maryland bees.
As part of the virtual field trip, public school teachers will receive five days of interactive lesson plans to use online with their students. The lesson plans will include games, songs, experiments, suggestions for outdoor activities and daily video clips featuring the Arboretum’s native meadow, wetland, stream and forest habitats. Lessons are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.
In 2019, the Gray Charitable Trust provided funding for bus transportation so that all second-graders in Caroline County Public Schools could participate in the “Birds, Bees, and Dandelion Seeds” field trip at the Arboretum. Positive feedback from students, parents and teachers prompted Arboretum educators to create a virtual version of the program for use while in-person field trips are on hold.
Kellen McCluskey, Adkins Arboretum’s staff photographer and membership coordinator, and volunteer Luke Adelman film Assistant Director Jenny Houghton for the Arboretum’s virtual field trip.
The “Birds, Bees, and Dandelion Seeds” lesson plans and video clips are available on the Arboretum website for use by homeschool families, private schools and the general public. The Arboretum hopes to resume in-person field trips in the fall of 2021.
Adkins Arboretum is a nonprofit organization located in scenic Caroline County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Although the Visitor’s Center is currently closed, the Arboretum’s 400 acres and five miles of paths are open daily from dawn to dusk. To learn more or to access the virtual field trip and other education resources, visit adkinsarboretum.org.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.
Troika Gallery is proud to present new paintings by Matt Zoll, Classic Works, opening First Friday, October 2, 2020.
Painting professionally for over twenty two years, Zoll studied at The Schuler School where he learned the painting techniques of the Flemish Masters. Incorporating hand- ground oil pigments and a rare painting medium which produces a rich luster and an intense luminosity, Zoll’s paintings achieve remarkable color and vibrancy.
Matt Zoll, Preserves, oil, 10 x 15
The Matt Zoll show runs through November 2, 2020. Be sure to stop in and see his hightly detailed still lifes which combine an old master approach with a modern sensibility.
Troika Gallery located at 9 South Harrison Street, Easton is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday, 11 am -6:30 pm and Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment, www.troikagallery.com. 410-770-9190
Easton High School Senior Zoe Pochron and St. Michaels High School Senior Hannah Seek will represent their schools as members of the TCPS Board of Education for the 2020-2021 school year. The students were chosen following an application and interview process, and were officially sworn in during the September Board Meeting.
A high achiever in academics, Zoe Pochron is also actively involved in many extracurricular activities. She is the president of the National Art Honor Society and an active member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, and the Easton High Debate Club. She has worked as a Public Defender Intern, and volunteered as a youth camp Administrator’s Assistant as well as with the Groove Theater in production, marketing and costuming. Zoe has received numerous awards including the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Excellence in Spanish 2 and Spanish 3, Excellence in Pre-Calculus and Principal’s Honor Roll.
“I am incredibly excited to have been chosen as the Student Member of the Board because I now have the opportunity to represent the voices of those who are often left in the shadows,” Zoe explained. “More often than not, those who are introverted and quiet have strong opinions that are never heard. My goal is to share those opinions and help make the changes they want to see. I hope to maintain a relationship with all groups of kids at Easton High School, and communicate their ideas with the Board.” After high school, Zoe plans to attend a four-year college or university to study Mathematics. She hopes to use her degree to pursue a career in a European country yet to be determined.
Easton High School Senior Zoe Pochron and St. Michaels High School Senior Hannah Seek.
Hannah Seek describes herself as highly motivated, ambitious and a great time manager. She demonstrates this through her academic performance and her extensive involvement in extra-curricular activities at St. Michaels Middle High School. She has participated in Students Helping Other People (SHOP)/Interact serving as Treasurer, Vice President and President, the Student Government Association as Sophomore Class President, Prom Committee, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Geo-Political Club. Her volunteer service includes Character Counts, Vacation Bible School and Trunk or Treat for Royal Oak United Methodist Church, and the Homeless Shelter. She is also a student athlete, competing in Varsity Basketball, Softball and Golf. Her recognition as both a student and an athlete includes the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Principal’s Honor Roll, Most Improved Award (Basketball), Coach’s Award (Golf), and the “Minds in Motion” Student Scholar Award.
“I feel truly blessed for this opportunity, to be able to communicate with administrators who have the ability to change school policy for the better,” Hannah said, “especially as we continue to adapt plans for learning during a pandemic, and to be trusted to represent my school during these unprecedented times.” Having completed the TCPS Teacher Academy, Hannah hopes to study English at university after graduation and pursue a career as a secondary teacher.
The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore, a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, is now accepting grant proposals from IRS-designated non-profit organizations for programs addressing the needs of Mid-Shore women and girls. Completed applications must be submitted by Monday, November 2, 2020. Grant recipients will be announced in April 2021.
Since its founding in 2002, the Women & Girls Fund has awarded $682,552 to 99 non-profit organizations in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties. In April 2020, 15 grants were given for a wide variety of programs such as Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake’s after-school program in Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties, Maryland Community for Life – Talbot that provides services to help seniors safely age in place, Delmarva Community Services for transitional housing for women and their children, and Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence’s Food Pantry project in each of their five offices.
“Programs offered by our grant recipients serve a variety of needs facing women and girls – from food scarcity and shelter to youth education and senior services – and make significant differences in our community,” said Kathy Deoudes, president of the Fund’s Board of Directors. She added, “During these uncertain times, we are encouraging applications for programs targeting critical needs facing women and girls as a result of the pandemic. No organization should be reluctant to apply.”
To obtain a grant application or learn more about the Fund and its application process, go to www.womenandgirlsfund.org. Applications may also be obtained by calling 410-770-8347 or e-mailing info@womenandgirlsfund.org.
Hunter Harris describes himself as a farm boy from the eastern shore with a keen interest in things mechanical and anything aviation oriented. Harris will be chronicling his adventures piloting blimps from 1986 to 1995 for McDonald’s, Sea World’s Shamu, the Met Life Snoopy Blimp, and the Pink Floyd Airship, yes, THAT Pink Floyd, that flew around the countryside promoting the Division Bell World Tour and was used for media coverage during their concerts. He has soared above major golf and tennis tournaments, NASCAR and Indy-car races, parades, Super Bowl, and World Series games, all while accumulating thousands of hours as one of only a handful of Airship pilots.
Hunter Harris (left) and Mike Fitzpatrick.
“When you are flying an Airship, you are flying a big bag of helium thru the atmosphere that is affected by wind, sunlight, precipitation… It’s a type of flying that requires much more situational awareness (than other types of aviation),” describes Harris. “The series for Chesapeake Forum is all about my piloting experiences. I want to explain and share the experience of something that is really unique,” says Harris. “This will be my third time teaching this class. I will use video that I created on the computer with stills and music and will stop at certain points to tell a story and answer questions before carrying on.” The three classes begin with a trip from Miami to the West Coast (with a side-excursion along the length of the Mississippi valley). From there we go from San Diego up the coast to British Columbia and we finish with a repeat of last Semester’s Montreal to Miami trip.
The course will be presented live on Zoom. This three-session class is $15. For those who cannot attend the live course, recordings of the ZOOM sessions will be available after each class and may be purchased for viewing during the course registration. August 24th is the first day to register at www.chesapeakeforum.org. Mark the date, the first session begins on Monday September 21st.
Choptank Community Health System recently received $65,750 in Quality Improvement grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grants provided more than $117M in funding to 1,318 health centers throughout the U.S. including 16 Maryland health centers receiving $1.2 M in grant funding.
The Quality Improvement grants recognize the highest performing health centers and those who have made significant quality improvements over the past year. Choptank Health was recognized with an Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality Award and Patient Center Medical Home Recognition.
The HIT for Quality award is given to health centers optimizing HIT services for advancing telehealth, patient engagement, interoperability, and collection of social determinants of health data to increase access to care and advance quality of care. Patient Center Medical Home Recognition is for health centers delivering primary care core functions to patients, including the elements of patient-centered care, coordinated and comprehensive care, accessibility, quality, and safety.
Choptank Health will use the grant funding to further strengthen quality improvement activities and expand quality primary health care service delivery.
“We live our mission every day to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all,” said Choptank Community Health System CEO Sara Rich. “Choptank Health is honored to once again be recognized for the quality of services we provide our patients.”
Health centers are community-based organizations that serve all populations including those with limited access to health care. Choptank Health is one of 17 centers in Maryland serving more than 377,000 individuals, including those without insurance or an ability to pay. Health Centers serve more than 28 million people nationwide and provide affordable, high quality, comprehensive primary care to people from throughout the local communities, including those underserved and uninsured.
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. More about Choptank Health is at choptankhealth.org.
