Mid-Shore Life

Tragedy has turned to joy for foster parents, Guy Tresente and Martha Reyes-Tresente of Easton, who were named as the 2012 Talbot County Foster Parents of the Year by the Talbot County Department of Social Services.  The Tresentes, who lost their only child, Grace Edyta, at 11 days old and could not have any more children, became licensed as foster parents in 2010.  Guy Tresente, who was exposed to foster care through a high school friend, comments, “We view it as a ministry. I see children as the future.”

Over the last two years, the Tresentes have provided foster care and respite to 10 children.  According to Christine Abbatiello, LGSW, foster care worker for Talbot County Department of Social Services, “They have been instrumental in working with three different sibling groups to keep the siblings together, even when it might mean driving long distances to keep the children in their schools.” She adds, “In addition, Guy and Martha have gone above and beyond to connect with the biological families of their foster children. They have also worked with some of the sibling groups to incorporate as much of their family of origin culture into their foster home.”

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St Michaels, MD, is offering a full roster of daily events for museum guests this Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Kid-themed, hand-on activities are offered on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-4pm. Forty-five minute highlight tours are offered Fridays and Saturdays at 11 am and 2pm, with docent interpretation offered every day at Watermen’s Wharf from 11am-3pm.

Stop by the working boatyard Mondays through Fridays at 1:30pm for a demonstration, and learn traditional boatbuilding skills from a trained shipwright. On Saturdays, guests can visit with authentic Chesapeake people who share their stories, from 11am-3pm, or work under the guidance of a master shipwright to help rebuild the skipjack Rosie Parks in the Community Work Days Program, from 10am-3pm. All of these activities are free with museum admission.

For those wanting to get out on the water, the museum’s replica buyboat, Mister Jim, takes passengers on 30-minute scenic cruises along the Miles River. Departing from the Hooper Strait Lighthouse and carrying up to 24 passengers, Mister Jim runs Fridays through Mondays at 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm through the summer. The cost is $10 per person or free for kids 16 and under, with paid museum admission.

Kids can explore the Miles River and learn maritime skills in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s (CBMM) summer sailing program, where new sailors and old salts gain the confidence to sail a small boat in a fun, safe, and encouraging environment.

Weekly classes are available June 11 through August 3 for participants 8 years of age and older, and offer instruction for sailors at basic, intermediate and advanced sailing levels. The daily classes include limited classroom instruction and three hours of on-the-water experience.

Participants learn sailing and teambuilding skills including water safety, rigging, boat handling and docking. The week ends with a family picnic and awards ceremony, where the students’ accomplishments are celebrated. Pre-registration is needed, with a museum member cost of $200, or $225 for non-members.

Join students and their families at the Centre for the Arts as participants of the recent STArt!(Students, Teachers, Artists) program are featured in a one-week exhibit. The STArt!programwas held at the four county middle schools throughout the month of April. Committee Chair Sharon Lipsius said the program is part of the Arts Council’s outreach to support and promote young artists and is “Important, appreciated and very successful.”

Four artists, four schools, forty students and their art instructors took part in the one-on-one art mentoring program. Artists Ric Conn, Stephen Griffin, Jonathan Shaw and Rick Strittmater visited Centreville, Matapeake, Stevensville and Sudlersvillemiddle schools respectively for a two hour art lesson in various media. Students created ready to hang artwork that will be on display this month. The opening reception is on May 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will be on display from May 19 through May 26.

The Skipjack Nathan of Dorchester will offer free sails from Long Wharf in Cambridge on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. The sails are sponsored by a grant from the Nathan Foundation.

Four sailing times are available, at noon, 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. No advance reservations will be accepted. Passengers may sign up on a first-come, first-served basis at the dock on the day of the sails, beginning about an hour before the first departure time. These popular sails usually get fully booked quickly.

The skipjack’s regular public sailing season is now underway, with two-hour public sails being offered each Saturday the boat is in port. Two reduced-rate one-hour sails are offered one Sunday each month, beginning May 20. Passengers may reserve spaces on the public sails online at www.Skipjack-Nathan.org.

Hearthstone Health and Fitness, Inc., the new fitness and wellness center in Easton, announces that it opened for business on May 21.

Hearthstone Health and Fitness has taken up residence at 102 Marlboro Avenue in Easton. Hearthstone's owners, Dave and Martha Tuthill of Oxford, have transformed the former Blockbuster Video location into a state-of-the-art facility that will bring together the very best in exercise and nutritional science, fitness equipment and highly qualified expert staff. First and foremost, Hearthstone will provide a superior client commitment to deliver an integrated and complete wellness experience for the individual just starting his wellness journey to the elite athlete looking to improve their performance.

Friday, May 18th & Saturday, May 19th 2012

Caroline Paddlefest on the Choptank features two days of fun for the whole family. The night before the launch, enjoy a celebration in historic Greensboro.

Main Street will be closed from Park Avenue to Sunset Ave with vendors, food, Fire Department BBQ chicken, free movies at dusk and more. The following morning, paddle down the pristine Choptank River while playing 'Paddle Poker.' Your on-river excursion will end at Martinak State Park, where there will be food, fun, entertainment & more! Bid on a custom piece of art at the Paddle Art Auction, explore the Native American Exhibit and the Art Village, experience Scales & Tales, enjoy live entertainment and eat to your hearts content.

For more information or to register, visit www.carolinechamber.org or call 410.479.4638

Friday, May 18th and Friday, June 1st  

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Caroline Courthouse Green, Market Street, Denton

Twilight Tunes, a free evening concert series, kicks off with a live performance by the Colonel Richardson and Lockerman Middle School Jazz Bands. On Friday, May 18th high school students from this year's Open Mic series will perform. The series concludes June 1st with a performance by the Bay Country Chorus.  Come out with your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy an evening in beautiful historic Downtown Denton.  There are refreshment and dinner options available at area restaurants, as well as several retail stores that are open late on Fridays.  

Things that annoy me:

1.  telemarketers
2.  liars
3.  manipulators
4.  shady business practices

Put them all together and you get my recent experience with Allstate Motor Club. I usually don't even answer the phone when I know it's a solicitor. But we have Allstate Insurance, and I really didn't pay attention to the words following Allstate on the Caller ID. They're counting on that. 

So I made the mistake of answering my phone, and immediately realized this was NOT my insurance agent calling with a question. Instead the salesperson immediately began reading from the script, talking fast and apparently not pausing for extraneous things - like air. Sometimes I let them finish their spiel, but I was busy with sick children and doctors and after a couple of minutes I interrupted to say, "No, thank you."  They immediately talked more, going into Spiel #2 without hesitation. Again, I interrupted. "No, thank you." Then I hung up.

That was my second mistake.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time set aside to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect, and to encourage individuals and communities to support children and families. On April 5, supporters of the Talbot County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) participated in its annual tradition of tying blue ribbons to the tree in front of Memorial Hospital at Easton to commemorate April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each ribbon represents a child who, in the last year, received services through the CAC located at MHE. The CAC, which provides services to children who have been victims of sexual abuse, is a partnership between the Talbot County Department of Social Services (TCDSS) and Shore Health System.

Children from Caroline, Dorchester, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties come to the center for forensic medical examinations, as necessary, for their care and to collect evidence needed for legal prosecution. The CAC provides additional services for Talbot County children, including forensic interviews, forensic medical examinations, advocacy services and mental health services.