Our friends at Food52 and Bon Appétit magazine are always full of good ideas and innovations. This year for Memorial Day they have skirt steaks and slaws and yummy-sounding cocktails galore. See for yourself: http://food52.com/blog/6667-grilling-with-adam-rapoport-skirt-steak-with-chimichurri-sauce

Our crowd is a little less high maintenance, and prefers the comfort of ritual. So when we get back from [...]]]>

Our friends at Food52 and Bon Appétit magazine are always full of good ideas and innovations. This year for Memorial Day they have skirt steaks and slaws and yummy-sounding cocktails galore. See for yourself: http://food52.com/blog/6667-grilling-with-adam-rapoport-skirt-steak-with-chimichurri-sauce

Our crowd is a little less high maintenance, and prefers the comfort of ritual. So when we get back from the Tea Party Festival in Chestertown, the 10th annual Hailey Memorial Day Ceremony or even back from seeing Star Trek, we will dig into burgers, hot dogs, grilled Italian sausage, (a few shrimp tossed on the barbie for our pescatarian) potato salad and strawberry shortcake. This is America, after all, and what are we celebrating?

Thanks to all who have defended us and our ideals.

Popular Potato Salad

This is a recipe that people actually ask for – and not just because they are my in-laws and trying hard to be polite! It that constantly evolves and adapts, and each summer brings a new twist. I don’t always have green onions – Vidalias work just fine. No red potatoes? Go for Russets. A little fresh thyme? Why not? It is dependable, tasty and can be adapted and stretched to feed the masses. Just add more potatoes, and more mayonnaise. Particularly fine for large picnic gatherings. Plus you can make it in the morning, and it is just right by suppertime.
Many, many servings…

• 2 pounds little new, red potatoes
• 1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise thinned with milk
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the potatoes until tender. While warm (but not still steaming hot – I have melted my fingerprints slicing too early and my life of crime may start any minute now) slice potatoes and begin to layer them in a large bowl – one layer potatoes then a handful of green onions and salt and pepper. Pour on some of the mayonnaise mixture. Repeat. Gently stir until all the potatoes are coated. You may need to add more mayonnaise mixture when you are ready to serve, as the potatoes absorb the mayo. Put on the table and stand back – the stampede might knock you down!

A Spy Hamburger

Serves 4 – but you can do the math…
• 1 1/2 pound ground chuck (18% fat content) Ask your butcher to grind it fresh – this is an important celebration!
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. A major lesson learned: it is best not to handle the meat too much or you will get a tough little hockey puck. Put the meat in a bowl and pull it away into small, manageable balls. Wet your hands when you form the hamburger patties – it helps to keep you from getting sticky and it is easier to form the shapes. Make the patties thinner in the center – about 3/4 of an inch at the edges and 1/2 an inch in the middle. They will shrink and even out while cooking. Keep the hamburgers cool in the fridge until you put them on the grill.
2. Preheat the grill; making sure it is clean and well oiled. The coals should be hot – hold your hand about 1 or 2 inches above them for a couple of seconds to test. If you use a gas grill keep the hood down while cooking the burgers, but if cooking with charcoal, keep the lid off.
3. Don’t flip the burgers endlessly – this makes for tough dry hamburgers. Cook 2 minutes per side for rare, 3 for medium-rare, 4 for medium and 5 minutes for well done. That’s my favorite, a very crispy critter. Let the burgers rest for a couple of minutes before serving. This way they will finish cooking and will absorb their juices.
4. Beer, please.

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”
-Mark Twain

In part one of a two-part series with the directors of the National Music Festival,  we speak with Richard Rosenberg, artistic director and conductor of the festival.

Rosenberg shares information and humorous anecdotes about the caliber of musician the festival brings as “apprentices,” what the festival means for the careers of those musicians, the thought [...]]]>

In part one of a two-part series with the directors of the National Music Festival,  we speak with Richard Rosenberg, artistic director and conductor of the festival.

Rosenberg shares information and humorous anecdotes about the caliber of musician the festival brings as “apprentices,” what the festival means for the careers of those musicians, the thought behind the selection of pieces performed at the concerts, and the excitement of breaking barriers between audience, venue, and musician.

The National Music Festival begins June 1 and runs until June 15. For more information, visit the festival website.

The video is 5 minutes long.

On May 20th the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council held its annual dinner meeting at Fisherman’s Inn in Grasonville, Maryland. Regular business included the nomination and voting in of four new board members: Cecily Wilson Lyle (Centreville), Anne Nielsen (Centreville), Barbara Sharkey (Centreville) and Nora Spicer (Chester) were unanimously elected to the board. Board Chair [...]]]>

Jessie Woodall

On May 20^th the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council held its annual dinner meeting at Fisherman’s Inn in Grasonville, Maryland. Regular business included the nomination and voting in of four new board members: Cecily Wilson Lyle (Centreville), Anne Nielsen (Centreville), Barbara Sharkey (Centreville) and Nora Spicer (Chester) were unanimously elected to the board. Board Chair Diana Saquella led the meeting and former board member and scholarship panelist Kathy Draper introduced the public to this year’s scholarship winners.

Three awardees will each receive a one-thousand dollar award toward their pursuit of higher education in the arts. Arts Council Board of Directors’ scholarships go to visual artists Morgan Moos, Queen Anne’s County High School, and Joanna Ehatt, Kent Island High School. Performing artist Jessie Woodall will receive the Clara Ann Simmons Scholarship award. Moos will be attending the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, Ehatt is going to Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia and Woodall begins Fall classes at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland.

Molly Harper, a 2009 scholarship award winner, addressed the group prior to the announcements. She gave an enthusiastic update on her progress since receiving her award. She completed a bachelor’s degree in arts management with honors at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Virginia. In the fall, she begins studies toward her master’s degree at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.

The Arts Council’s annual scholarship was established in 1989 to assist Queen Anne’s County high school students in pursuing their arts education. For more information about the program, call the office, 410-758-2520. The Queen Anne’s County Arts Council is supported in part by a grant by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Morgan Moos

Joanna Ehat

The suspect is described only as a male, about six feet tall, with a thin build, possibly weighing 180-200 pounds, and possibly having short dark hair. He [...]]]>

Maryland State Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying an armed robbery suspect who disguised himself before robbing a Queen Anne’s County jewelry store last weekend.

The suspect is described only as a male, about six feet tall, with a thin build, possibly weighing 180-200 pounds, and possibly having short dark hair. He was wearing an oversized suit jacket, a backpack on his chest, a dark wig, a fake beard, sunglasses, and a ball cap. He was operating a white Yamaha sport motorcycle with silver stickers.

At about 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, 2013, the suspect entered the Ultra Diamonds jewelry store, in the 100-block of Outlet Center Drive, Queenstown, Md. He displayed a handgun and stole dozens of pieces of jewelry from the store. No one in the store was injured during the robbery. The suspect left the store on foot to an area behind the shopping center where he took his disguise off. He fled the area on the Yamaha motorcycle and was seen wearing a green and black riding jacket, with a multi-colored helmet that had yellow/green duct tape holding the face shield on.

The suspect was seen abandoning the motorcycle and fleeing into a wooded area on Nesbit Road in Grasonville. Maryland State Police, Natural Resources Police, and Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office personnel set up a perimeter around the area. K-9 units and a State Police helicopter responded to assist with the search. Although an intense search of the area was conducted, the suspect was not located.

The motorcycle was recovered where the suspect abandoned it. It was found to have been stolen from Washington, D.C. in 2010. The motorcycle also had a stolen registration plate displayed on it.

State Police investigators believe the suspect was seen by a number of people in the shopping center parking lot before he committed the robbery. According to evidence developed, the suspect obviously turned his head and attempted to avoid people he encountered while making his way toward the store. His actions may have made his appearance and behavior even more obvious to people in the area.

Investigators believe the suspect’s ‘disguise’ was clearly fake and would attract the attention of people who encountered him. Police are hoping anyone who saw him or who was in the area of Outlet Center Drive in Queenstown on the evening of May 19th will call them immediately at the Centreville Barracks, at 410-758-1101. Callers may remain confidential. Investigators would also like to speak with anyone who observed any suspicious vehicles or persons in the area of the Chesapeake Motel, Nesbit Road, Blackbeard Road, Winchester Creek Road, Hissey Road and Route 50 in the Grasonville area during the past weekend. Citizens should not consider any information or observation they have to be insignificant.

Cinderella stories about startup businesses are all too rare in the United States, especially during a slow economy. Staggering statistics about 50 percent plus failure rates are much more likely to grab the headlines. This fact makes the recent InvestMaryland Challenge winner announcement that much more remarkable for North East-based i-lighting™, manufacturer of easy-to-install LED interior [...]]]>

Cinderella stories about startup businesses are all too rare in the United States, especially during a slow economy. Staggering statistics about 50 percent plus failure rates are much more likely to grab the headlines. This fact makes the recent InvestMaryland Challenge winner announcement that much more remarkable for North East-based i-lighting™, manufacturer of easy-to-install LED interior and exterior lighting solutions. i-lighting™ was founded in 2007, and this is the first business venture for president and chief executive officer Scott Holland.

Scott Holland and his six-employee team were pleasantly surprised to be named one of three grand prize winning companies that received $100,000 each in cash and prizes in the state’s inaugural national competition for startup firms.

Scott Holland, second from left, president and chief executive officer of i-lighting™, and Mike Thielke, right, executive director of ESEC,
Annapolis. Also pictured are: Sean Ryan, left, vice president of Sales and Marketing; and Kerry Larotonda, second from
right, Customer Service Relations manager.

i-lighting™ was selected in the General Industry category. In addition to their grand prize honor i-lighting™ also received a $5,000 award from the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC), Easton, Md., for the best submission from a rural business.

“Long after the prize money is gone we will be grateful for what we gained as a business from the process of this experience,” says Holland. “We knew we had a great business, but until this competition we hadn’t done the fine-tuning of our business plan. The various steps of this competition made us look closely at our messaging and our financials. That will be the legacy of this process,” he adds.

What piece of wisdom would he impart to fledgling startups? “Don’t assume you will do well simply because you have a good idea. You have to tell people about your product or service. They won’t automatically come to you,” Holland explains. “By surrounding myself with successful business people I learned from their mistakes. I believe that a ‘smart business’ always starts with the people you hire. Your staff needs to ‘fit’ and everyone needs to be focused on the same goal. In turn, you need to treat them well,” he adds.

The other two InvestMaryland grand prizewinners were: Baltimore-based firms Graybug and RedOwl Analytics. In addition to $100,000, the winners also received two round-trip tickets from Spirit Airlines and legal services from Whiteford Taylor Preston, a Baltimore law firm.

In all, the competition attracted 259 entries from around the country, including 25 out-of-state companies from as far away as California, Georgia and Massachusetts. The field was narrowed over three successive rounds of judging by a panel of 79 investors, successful entrepreneurs, business executives and other members of the Maryland startup community, including Mike Thielke, executive director of ESEC.

“By serving as a judge in this competition it reaffirmed my belief and commitment to the role innovation and technology has in revitalizing the U.S. economy,” says Thielke. “These are the cornerstones of entrepreneurship that I see in my work at ESEC, and it is happening all over the country,” he adds.

Founded in 2006, the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC) works to develop and enhance an entrepreneurial ecosystem on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. ESEC provides training; services and programs to help business owners and entrepreneurs succeed by creating greater access to capital, and offering programs that develop entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Included are ShoreVenture, a comprehensive 10-week entrepreneur-training program, annual business plan and student plan competitions, and an annual entrepreneur conference. In 2012, ESEC launched “hotDesks,” providing co-working spaces for independent professionals. For more information on the business plan competition or ESEC, call (410) 770-9330 or visit ventureahead.org.

i-lighting™ was founded to provide easy-to-install, cost-effective and extremely reliable interior and exterior lighting solutions to homeowners, contractors and builders. The company has developed and sold thousands of custom-designed DeckLighting, StairLighting and LandscapeLighting Systems to building and maintenance professionals as well as homeowners throughout the United States.

InvestMaryland Challenge was organized by the Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). The Challenge was designed to build a pipeline of innovative companies for the state’s InvestMaryland program. Created by Governor O’Malley and passed by Maryland’s General Assembly in 2011, the program is being run through the Maryland Venture Fund and DBED. Last year, the state raised $84 million for the program through an online auction of tax credits to Maryland insurance companies.

Crossroads Community’s Flying Pig Roast lived up to its theme of “Defying the Odds” by staying rain-free on a weekend when the weather threatened outdoor events throughout the area.

On May 18, more than a hundred guests enjoyed a pig roast with all the trimmings under tents on the grounds of Lea Brooks’ Piney Point [...]]]>

Crossroads Community’s Flying Pig Roast lived up to its theme of “Defying the Odds” by staying rain-free on a weekend when the weather threatened outdoor events throughout the area.

On May 18, more than a hundred guests enjoyed a pig roast with all the trimmings under tents on the grounds of Lea Brooks’ Piney Point Farm waterfront home to benefit Crossroads Community Foundation’s dental program. The Chris Sacks Band provided entertainment for the evening.

Crossroads Community Board President Mary Lou Pagella, right, thanks Lea Brooks

Primary sponsorship for the event came from CNB and Chester River Health System, with additional support from Triton Wealth Management, What’s Up? Media, Ebb Tide Tent and Party Rentals, The Peoples Bank of Kent County, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, C. Albert Matthews, Inc., Wagamon Technology Group, and Price & Gannon True Value.

Crossroads Community provides mental health recovery resources to a five-county Eastern Shore service area. In addition to offering her thanks to the sponsors, guests, Brooks and Sacks for their support, Crossroads Community Board President Mary Lou Pagella recognized the staff, board members and volunteers for their dedication to bettering the lives of those served by the organization. “One of our most important missions is to improve the lives of our consumers,” said Pagella, “and one of the best ways to do that is to improve their health.”

She noted that, for those managing serious mental health issues, dental care often becomes a secondary concern, and they may have little ability to pay for services. Pagella commended dentists Neil Brayton of Kent County, Thomas Downs of Centreville and Jared Nave of Cambridge for their work with the organization in offering reduced-fee dental services to its consumers. “It is more than a health issue,” she emphasized. “It’s a self-confidence issue.”

Nave described the gratification he receives in working with those referred by Crossroads, noting one individual who, he said, looked twenty years younger when the dental work was done. “It’s great to see what a difference it can make,” he said, thanking Crossroads Community for making it possible.

One consumer who benefited from the Crossroads program, Carol Mason, told guests that her dental problem had been immediately addressed thanks to the organization, adding, “I am so grateful for all the help I’ve gotten.”

More than $12,000 in proceeds from the Flying Pig Roast will help provide dental services to Crossroads consumers in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties.

For more information, to make a donation or to volunteer, contact Crossroads Community at 410-758-3050 or visit its website, www.ccinconline.com.

For seventy years Oklahoma!, the very first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, has delighted audiences around the world with its wonderful music that includes the songs Surry with the Fringe on Top, I Can’t Say No, and People Will Say We’re in Love. In a change that revolutionized musical theater, Oklahoma! is also a strong drama, [...]]]>

For seventy years Oklahoma!, the very first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, has delighted audiences around the world with its wonderful music that includes the songs Surry with the Fringe on Top, I Can’t Say No, and People Will Say We’re in Love. In a change that revolutionized musical theater, Oklahoma! is also a strong drama, with characters we care about deeply and lyrics and choreography that directly relate to the story. Curly the cowboy, Laurey the young homesteader, the misfit Judd Fry and all the other farmers and ranchers have helped define both the golden age of musical theater and the American experience. Premiering in March 1943, in the midst of World War II, Oklahoma was an instant burst of optimistic energy. That spirit endures

Church Hill Theatre’s production of Oklahoma! is directed by Sylvia Maloney. Her cast of more than two dozen will be supported by Musical Director Joan Blume, Choreographer Cavin Moore, a live orchestra, and a full contingent of back stage helpers. CHT’s summer musicals are community theater at its best: Eager and inexperienced newcomers share the stage with experienced audience favorites (and sometimes the first-timers are decades older than the “pros”). Volunteers have painted the sets, constructed the costumes, and found all the props. While lacking Broadway’s glitz and special effects, Church Hill Theatre and talented local performers produce some pretty fine magic here on the Eastern Shore.

It’s always important to know who’s who in the cast. The young lovers, Laurey and Curly, are played by Becca VanAken and Mark Wiening. Aunt Eller is portrayed by Debbie Ebersole and Jud Fry by Wade Garrett. Lorrie Foy is the irrepressible Ado Annie and her suitors Will Parker and Ali Hakim will be played by Brian Whitaker and Will Covington. Others in the cast are Ira Nelson as Andrew Carnes, Kelly Ostazeski as Gertie Cummings, Kylie Sommer as Kate, Abbey Gilbert as Ellen, Jenifer Johnson as Sylvie, Karin Larsen as Vivian, Cara Wood as Aggie, Lois Miller as Armina, Samantha McCreary as Virginia, Laura Kaufmann as Sarah, Kasandra McCreary as Jane, Matt Foker as Ike Skidmore, Colin Graves as Cord Elam, Patrick Lindsay as Slim, Brandon Walls as Mike, Brody Alderson as Fred, Earl Payton as Joe, and Nolan Lindsay as Tom. Amanda and Eden Kloetzli will perform as Dance Laurey, Bryan Betley will be Dance Curly (and Jess), and Wade Garrett will be Dance Jud.

The all-important orchestra, conducted from the piano by Joan Blume, includes Ron Demby, Amy Stinnett, Frank Gerber, Joe Diamond and Albert Briggs.

The support staff includes Producer Bonnie Hill, Stage Manager Michele Christopher, Set Designer Michael Whitehill, Art Design by Brian Draper, Light Design by Doug Kaufmann, and Costumes by Tina Johnson and Erma Johnson. Jusden Messick, Michele Christopher, Brian Whitaker, Jim Johnson, Nic Carter, Bernadette Alderson, and Steve Payne will help ensure everything runs smoothly. Sheila Austrian, John Beck and Pat Patterson provided publicity, program design and photography.

Oklahoma! will run from June 7 to June 23, with performances at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. Tickets are $20 for adults , $17 for members and $10 for students. Reservations are essential, as CHT’s summer musical sells out quickly. Call 410-758-1331 or visit our website churchhilltheatre.org.

bestselling thriller author will tell aspiring writers how to successfully self-publish in the new age of ebooks.

Robert Bidinotto, of Grasonville, will speak on “How You Can Succeed as a Self-Published Author,” Thursday, May 30, 7-9 p.m., at Queen Anne’s County Free Library, 121 South Commerce Street, Centreville, Maryland.

His presentation is free and open [...]]]>

bestselling thriller author will tell aspiring writers how to successfully self-publish in the new age of ebooks.

Robert Bidinotto, of Grasonville, will speak on “How You Can Succeed as a Self-Published Author,” Thursday, May 30, 7-9 p.m., at Queen Anne’s County Free Library, 121 South Commerce Street, Centreville, Maryland.

His presentation is free and open to the public.

An award-winning journalist and editor, Bidinotto is author of the suspense bestseller “HUNTER.” Last year, his debut thriller sold over 50,000 copies in a single month. It became the number-one bestselling Amazon Kindle title in both “Mysteries and Thrillers” and in “Romantic Suspense.”

“There’s never been a better time to be an author,” Bidinotto says. “The opportunities and financial rewards are amazing.”

Bidinotto shares publishing and writing tips with aspiring writers, at no charge. His talk will compare the exciting range of low-cost publishing options now available to authors, including traditional publishing and small press, as well as self-published ebooks, audiobooks, and “print on demand” editions.

He also will explain the marketing techniques he used to propel “HUNTER” to number four on the overall Kindle bestseller list, ahead of titles by Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer, John Grisham, and Lee Child.

Currently, Bidinotto is completing the next novel in his “Dylan Hunter” thriller series.

He says that by sharing his how-to tips, “I hope to encourage talented new writers to get their work published, and to find lots of readers.”

For more information, contact the library at (410)758-0980.