Cecil County Life Spring/Summer 2016

Spring/Summer 2016

Cecil County Life

Magazine

The vineyard on the banks of the Bohemia River Page 50

Inside • New owners take over Appleton Equestrian in Elkton • Preserving Historic Elk Landing • Plumpton Park Zoo’s success story

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Cecil County Life SSpring/Summer i /S 2016

Table of Contents

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36

56

68

76

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Sweet Spice Bake Shop debuts in North East

20

Wood-burning artist Carolyn Asti

28

Spotlight on Hunter’s Sale Barn

36

Plumpton Park Zoo’s success story

45

Chesapeake City events

50

The vineyard on the banks of the Bohemia

56

A paradise for horse lovers

61

Photo essay: Where around Elkton?

68

Preserving Historic Elk Landing

76

Perryville Farmers Market

Cover design by Tricia Hoadley Cover photograph courtesy of Chateau Bu-De www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Cecil County Life SSpring/Summer i /S 2016

In pursuit of a dream Letter from the Editor: In 2013, Brenda Dedrick and her husband, Warren, purchased the stunning 440-acre Bohemia Manor Farm. They were in pursuit of a dream. Now, just three years later, and with nearly 25,000 vines yielding great wines at Chateau Bu-De Vineyards in Chesapeake City, their dreams are flourishing.

As our writers and photographers traveled around to Port Deposit and Rising Sun and Elkton and Chesapeake City and North East, we met many people who were pursuing their dreams in Cecil County, and now you’ll meet them on the pages that follow.

We’ll introduce you to Norman Hunter, who took over a business more than four decades ago and transformed it into a success. Today, Hunter’s business is really four businesses in one—an auction service, a flea market, a salvage store, and a restaurant, and people throughout the region know Hunter’s Sale Barn for at least one of those offerings.

Ever since the doors of the Sweet Spice Bake Shop in North East first swung open last December, it has become one of the busiest – and happiest – must-sees in Cecil County.

We talk to the owners, Casey Warrington and Lisa Lonabaugh, about their business success story.

Speaking of success stories, writer Carla Lucas explores the local success story that is the Plumpton Park Zoo. Writer John Chambless profiles wood-burning artist Carolyn Asti, who is skilled at embellishing the beauty of wood, a fraction of an inch at a time.

Cecil County Life also talks to Josh Brown, the president of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation, about the efforts to preserve, protect, and restore the Historic Elk Landing site in Elkton. The town of Elkton purchased the Elk Landing property, including the Hollingsworth House and the Stone House, in 1999, and since then the Historic Elk Landing Foundation has overseen the preservation efforts.

In this edition, you’ll meet Juliana Hutchings and Ian Sebring, the owners of Appleton Equestrian, a paradise for horse lovers, which builds on its long history with the community.

We also explore the Cecil County Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to promote the countywide civic pride campaign, “I Love Cecil.”

The photo essay, “Where Around Elkton?” challenges readers to test how well they know the Elkton area of Cecil County. How well can you identify where certain photos were taken in and around Elkton?

The staff of Cecil County Life always enjoys the opportunity to meet and talk with the people who help make the community such a wonderful place to live and work. By the time this issue reaches readers, we’ll be hard at work planning the next edition, which will arrive in the fall of 2016. As always, we welcome comments or suggestions for future stories.

Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher, randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steve Hoffman, Editor, editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, x. 13

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Themed & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffee cake / scones, cinBusiness|————— namon —————|Cecil rolls and mini cakes / County Dude Bread / Cherry lime donuts / Pastry tarts made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basil and balsamic / chocoThe doors of the Sweet Spice Bake Shop in late covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes / North East first swung open last December. gingerbread peach & raspberry crumbthat cake / gluten-free and vegan breads Since then, the dream Casey Warrington and muffins / and fig Lisa andLonabaugh walnut bread / become potato one chipofcookies / Themed had has the & custom-order cakes / Peach coffeein cake / scones, cinnamon busiest – and happiestvanilla – must-sees Cecil County rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherry lime donuts / Pastry tarts made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basil and balsamic / chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes / gingerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato chip cookies / Themed & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffee cake / scones, cinnamon rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherry lime donuts / Pastry tarts made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basil and balsamic / chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes / gingerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato chip cookies / Themed & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffee cake / scones, cinnamon rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherry lime donuts / Pastry tarts made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basil and balsamic / chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes / gingerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato chip cookies / Themed & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffee cake / scones, cinnamon rolls

The delicious collision of Heaven and the potato chip cookie

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Cecil County Life | Spring/Summer 2016 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Themed & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffee cake / scones, cinnamon rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherry lime donuts / Pastry tarts made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basil and balsamic / chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes /

By Richard L. Gaw gingerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads Staff Writer and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato cookies eforechip this profile tumbles into / the Themed B wonderful story of how Casey Lisa Lonabaugh & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffeeWarrington cake and / scones, cinnamon turned a few conversations into one of biggest business success stories in rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherrythe lime / Pastry tarts North East in donuts recent years, there is the small matter of the Sweet Spice Bake potato chip cookie – indeed, made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basilShop’s and balsamic / chocolate the title that begins this profile and one of the business’ signature items – covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes / ginto address first.

The cookie is pure genius.

If customers are not applauding gerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads Warrington for how she brought together the unlikely chemistry of and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato chipwithcookies / Themed potato chips chocolate chips, they should be. She has formed a intoxicating blend of sweet and & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffeenearly cake / scones, cinnamon salty and, owing to its two key ingrea texture that is both crunchy rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherrydients, / Pastry tarts andlime chewy. donuts Witness its history: Soon after the business opened on Main last December, a customer made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basilStreet and balsamic / chocolate motioned to the peculiar name given to the cookies that Warrington had covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel / ginjust started baking. He cupcakes was skeptical.

She gave him one free to try. By the time he had left the store and reached gerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads the flower-laden front gate near Main Street, he turned around, came back and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato chip / Themed inside and orderedcookies a half dozen more.

Perhaps the most accurate portrayal the great distances Warrington and & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffeeofLonabaugh cakehave/ traveled scones, cinnamon since the opened last December is not rolls and mini cakes / Dude Bread / Cherrystore lime donuts / toPastry tarts to start at the beginning but take you, the reader, to the morning of 2015. Orders for the made with fresh tomato, ricotta cheese, basilChristmas andEvebalsamic / chocolate holiday – three pages’ worth – were stacked up and waiting in boxes. The covered strawberry cupcakes / Salted caramel pretzel cupcakes / gingerbread peach & raspberry crumb cake / gluten-free and vegan breads and muffins / fig and walnut bread / potato chip cookies / Themed & custom-order cakes / Peach vanilla coffee cake / scones, cinnamon rolls Photo by Jie Deng

Casey Warrington and Lisa Lonabaugh, co-owners of the Sweet Spice Bake Shop in North East.

Continued on Page 10

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Sweet Spice Continued from Page 9

store was supposed to open at 9 a.m., and by 8:50, lines had begun to form outside, made up of residents who wanted to pick up their cake, their donuts, their Christmas morning muffins and scones.

Lonabaugh placed a sign telling customers that they would open at 10 a.m., and when the doors finally opened, the Sweet Spice Bake Shop in North East found itself under attack by a friendly stampede.

Within minutes, Warrington and Lonabaugh called everyone they knew to come in and help. Stephen, the 15-year-old kid they had just hired to wash mixing bowls and utensils, was put to work decorating cupcakes. The store phone rang off the hook. People who did not even have orders came in, hunting around for whatever remained on the shelves.

It was baptism by fire, exacerbated by the long hours Warrington and Lonabaugh were already putting in. It was not unusual to see them begin work at 4:30 nearly every morning, and not leave until 7 p.m. In the evenings. Sometimes, they worked through the night.

Once, Lonabaugh looked up from the cupcakes she was making. She saw that Warrington, in the middle of working, had fallen asleep.

It has yet to slow down. * * * * Continued on Page 12

Photo by Jie Deng

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Sweet Spice Continued from Page 10

In order to understand the story of how the Sweet Spice Bake Shop came to have a scenario where people are lining up outside the door, you must begin 13 years ago, at a small bakery Warrington owned on Main Street she called Cinnamon Girl. With a near ten-year resume in the restaurant industry already in place, Warrington was confident in the kitchen, and as her customer base grew, so did the bakery. It was an extension of her creativity, but something, she felt, was missing.

“I was young, and the business side of it wasn’t my thing,” she said. “I was faking my way through it, and my kids were very young, so the timing wasn’t really great to be a young mother with a business.”

What she was really looking for was the perfect partner – someone who was able to balance the books while also being an idea maker in the kitchen. Lonabaugh had just graduated from the Art Institute of York with a degree in graphic design and video production, and had just taken

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a job at Steak & Main across the street. At first, she served as Warrington’s unofficial taste tester, trying out her baking ideas. They quickly became friends, and that’s about the time when the first seeds of the dream – to own and operate a bakery, together – were first planted. At first, the plans were vocalized back and forth – smatterings of conversation – but about two years ago, the ideas found their way to paper.

They had to know whether or not the dream was feasible, so they developed a business plan, and began looking at potential properties in Elkton, but nothing seemed to fit with their ideas.

By then, Lonabaugh, a graduate of the Art Institute of York in Pennsylvania, was beginning her carer as an art director for the York-based Think Loud Development, a commercial redeveloper of blighted urban properties in third tier cities. It is owned, in part, by the members of the Continued on Page 14

McCormick Orthodontics:

A legacy of care, made one smile at a time When you and your family visit the ofłces of McCormick Orthodontics, you’re not just stepping into high quality care that offers a treatment plan tailored directly to each patient. You are joining the thousands of other moms, dads and children who have been a part of the McCormick family for the past 41 years of practice.

At McCormick Orthodontics, our legacy is not measured by years of caring service, but by our every-day commitment to building relationships. It begins with our staff of orthodontists, assistants and front ofłce staff who take the time to listen, and to educate, because the more a family knows, the more comfortable they feel.

In many ways, Dr. Sonal Dave, our newest orthodontist, is a reŃection of our dedication. She practices with compassion and sensitivity to each patient’s needs, and she enjoys being able to make a positive impact on their lives. As a graduate of the dental school at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of several dental and orthodontic associations, Dr. Dave’s extensive educational background and continuing education has given her the tools and training to deliver the best results.

Along with the American Association of Orthodontists, here at McCormick Orthodontics, we recommend that children receive their łrst orthodontic screening by age 7. If your child isn’t ready for treatment at

the time of the exam we offer a complimentary growth program called the Getting Ready Club, which allows us to determine the best time to initiate your child’s treatment – and all X-rays and visits are FREE. At McCormick Orthodontics, our continuum of care is a partnership that combines the personal touch with the latest in oral technology. We are an Elite provider for Invisalign and Invisalign Teen, and with the use of our iTero scanner can create an accurate 3D model of the patient’s teeth and gum tissue, eliminating the need for impressions. This ensures faster delivery time and a more precise łt of the Invisalign aligners.

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Dr. Michaela McCormick has one key goal: to exceed the expectations of her patients in every way. That philosophy extends to everyone on our staff. We’re sure you’ll feel it, too, when you walk into our newest location in North East, Maryland.

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Sweet Spice Continued from Page 12

rock group Live, and between road trips, buses and hotel rooms, the energy that Lonabaugh felt was contagious “I thought, ‘North East is my home,’ and I was being busy helping other people build their dream,” she said.

“I thought that it would be nice to be home and build a dream that is my own. The guys from Think Loud and the members of Live are putting their blood, sweat and tears and money into developing York, their hometown.

At the same time, that’s what Casey and I were trying to do. They gave me the tools and the realization that it can be done, so I took that passion and drive and used it to fulfill our own dream.. to have a successful business and have it impact the community.”

Lonabaugh left the tour bus and the hotels last September, and came charging back to North East, fully committed to starting a boutique bakery with her best friend.

One day last fall, Warrington and Lonabaugh saw a

Photo by Jie Deng

The shop also showcases a hearty variety of breads, cookies and brownies.

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Cecil County Life | Spring/Summer 2016 | www.cecilcountylife.com

‘For Sale’ sign outside of 17 South Main Street, shining like a beacon of possibility. Over the course of the following month, they had meetings with the county health department, the fire marshal, various health inspectors.

They got verbal agreements, and figured out the build-out costs in order to outfit a kitchen in a 120-year-old home.

Suddenly, it was theirs. Suddenly, it was all hands on deck: Warrington’s husband scrubbed down and cleaned up; Lonabaugh’s boyfriend did all of the woodworking and carpentry.

In the middle of last December, the doors opened for the first time. * * * * Other than the three specialties – the potato chip cookies, the salted caramel pretzel cupcake and the signature Continued on Page 16

Photo by Jie Deng

Some of the many delectable cupcakes made on premise and served at the Sweet Spice Bake Shop. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Sweet Spice Continued from Page 15

fig and walnut bread – the Sweet Spice Bake Shop is a gonzo, spur-of-the-moment, seat-of-the-pants creative studio that thrives on ideas. Warrington and Lonabaugh are not only best friends and business partners, they have a natural sense of collaboration that helps separate their business from many other bakeries.

“I make the bread every morning, and after the walnut fig bread, it’s anybody’s guess as to what the other three varieties of bread I will make,” Warrington said. “One of us will have an idea, and the other will make it happen.

Lisa came to me one day and said, ‘We need to make a really manly kind of bread, with bacon and cheddar and roasted garlic.’ It sounded great, so I roasted cloves of garlic, cooked up some bacon, added a little maple syrup and roasted garlic olive oil, and it all came together. ” Dude Bread, now available on Saturdays, was born.

They can’t keep it on the shelves.

North East is blessed with the small-town reality that seems to suggest that if you run into a stranger along Main Street, there is a great chance that you know someone who Continued on Page 18

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Sweet Spice Continued from Page 16

knows him or her. Warrington and Lonabaugh estimate that they know about 75 percent of the customers who walk through the front door of Sweet Spice Bake Shop, by name. In the same breath, they know many of their favorite baked goods. They know their childrens’ names. They also know many of their dietary restrictions. Recently, a mother requested a birthday cake for her son. Knowing that the young boy admired the work of a cartoonist, Warrington duplicated one of the artist’s caricatures on the boy’s cake.

Another time, a customer came in and told them because of dietary restrictions, she hadn’t had the chance to eat baked treats and a birthday cake in 15 years. No soy. No gluten. No dairy. No fun.

“I told her to write down exactly what restrictions she has, and a list of what she would like to have us make,” Lonabaugh said. “Her husband was about to throw her a surprise birthday party, so I made cupcakes with chocolate frosting with a cashew cream base, for her to taste in preparation for a party she wasn’t even aware of. We then delivered the cupcakes to her home, for her surprise party.”

In a Thank-You letter to Warrington and Lonabaugh, the woman wrote, “I now count the two of you among my friends.”

“There is the instant gratification when we make something for someone, and they praise us because it was an integral part of their special day or Photo by Jie Deng moment,” Lonabaugh said. “We love the science behind the food, but we love the synergy that brings everyone together. For us, this is our life, and we’ve put everything we have into it. Failure is not an option for us. We know what we have to do to make it successful and willing to do everything to do that.

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“These are the reasons why the two of us do all of this, and work all of these crazy hours,” Warrington said.

“Essentially, this is our house, so when you come in, you’re not jut a customer. You are a guest in our home.”

The Sweet Spice Bake Shop is located on 17 S. Main Street, North East, Md. Tel: 410-287-5021. Phone at least 48 hours ahead for custom orders. Hours: Wed., Thurs. and Fri., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. To learn more, visit www.sweetspicebakeshop.com, or visit the store on Facebook.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@ chestercounty.com.

Photo by Jie Deng

The shop’s location on Main Street is a cozy spot to unwind, and have a treat. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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——————|Cecil County Arts|——————

Wood-burning artist Carolyn Asti Embellishing the beauty of wood, a fraction of an inch at a time

By John Chambless Staff Writer

T

he sweet aroma of wood smoke has been a part of Carolyn Asti’s life since 1968, when she got a wood-burning kit for Christmas and produced her first cartoonish drawing on wood.

Asti still has that first work, and the tool she used to produce it, but her love of pyrography (the term used to describe artists who work with wood-burning) has expanded far beyond what she could have imagined.

Photo by John Chambless

Carolyn Asti grew up in Elkton and has had a lifelong love of wood burning.

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Photos by John Chambless

Wooden boxes in progress on Asti’s work table.

The intricate patterns are burned into the wood with several metal tips.

Asti grew up in the Elkton area, when the nearest big town was Newark, Del. Her father, who worked for Dupont, was a musician who conducted and played in his own big band, the Moonlighters. He insisted that Carolyn and her siblings play an instrument. She dutifully took up the flute and French horn from fourth grade through high school, but her real love was making things.

Asti laughed as she recalled how her parents would send her to the workshop at 10 years old with her wood burning kit, leaving her unsupervised. “Basically, I’d just go down to my dad’s workshop and use it. I had a bench down there and that’s where I did my stuff. If I burned myself, oh well,” she said, laughing.

“I started out doing crafts. In school, I did not enjoy academic subjects. My best things were Continued on Page 22 Asti uses one of her wood-burning tools. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Carolyn Asti Continued from Page 21

gym, art, home-ec, shop. That’s where I excelled.”

Asti graduated from Elkton High School in 1977, went to a beauty school and worked in hair salons, worked in her father’s music store for 13 years, raised two children who are now grown, and started her own cleaning and painting business. In 1976, she did a burned-wood farm scene for her mother, and in the 1980s, she designed and wood-burned hope chests built by her brother, Jeff, for her siblings.

“My sister asked me to copy a lath-work picture in 1986 that she had seen in a catalog,” Asti said.

“Making that piece led to creating many more pieces of framed artwork.”

Rather than put together dozens of pieces of wood for a scene, she burned large single panels and then applied three-dimensional accent pieces, giving the works a striking depth and folky look.

Several are hanging in her home today, where Asti lives with her other works, including an elaborately decorated wooden tissue box in her bathroom.

This large lazy Susan was a commission for a customer.

Downstairs are her band saws and table saw, where she cuts large pieces into useable sizes and for frames. Upstairs is her work table, a large collection of stains and paints, and a wide range of burning

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tools and metal pens that are heated to create various lines and textures on wood.

The slow, contemplative nature of wood burning appeals to Asti, who doesn’t draw out her designs on paper, but sketches them directly on what she’s burning. A slip of the hot metal tip means a work can be ruined. Different woods react uniquely to the pressure of the metal tip, so Asti has become well versed in all of them. Sometimes, if she lingers on a spot too long, a flame darts up from the surface.

Continued on Page 24

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Carolyn Asti Continued from Page 23

Asti returned to wood-burning seriously in 2010. When her work was picked up for sale at The Palette and the Page in Elkton, she started making smaller items that took less time to produce – wooden spoons and small boxes that are still elaborate, but easier to sell. She paints most of her creations, making the surfaces look like enamel work.

For ideas, “I look through magazines, or you can use stencils, or do them free hand,” she said. The designs change as she’s working, “so I don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like until it’s completed,” she said.

If she gets a design she likes, she creates a stencil of her own so she can duplicate the work later.

A small box can take four to six hours to complete, and a larger project – like a serving bowl – can take far longer. “I keep records. Every piece I’ve ever made is written down,” Asti explained. “I write down how I did it and the colors I used, so that if I ever have to go back and do another one, I’ll know. The first time I’m designing and creating something, I put the timer on. That tells me how long it took me to do it.

This farm scene was created with one large burned-wood panel and an overlay of a 3-D pump in the foreground.

Continued on Page 26

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Carolyn Asti Continued from Page 24

“No two pieces are alike. I usually change something in it. I always look at it and think, ‘I could do this part better the next time,’” she said.

Asti has just started making burned-wood earrings that have the delicacy and color of cloisonne pieces. They don’t require as much time as a larger piece, and as far as Asti knows, they are a unique creation not available elsewhere.

At the beginning of the year, she completed a huge project – an electric guitar that’s burned and painted both front and back with her own dazzling design. She got the guitar body from Jim Cara, who used to work in her father’s music store in Elsmere, Del. He makes his own guitars, and supplied the Stratocaster body for Asti’s contribution. The guitar is for sale online, and serves as a striking showpiece for Asti’s ambitions.

She has also started burning and painting designs on leather guitar straps. “Burning leather is just like butter,” Asti said. “Until I found out that burning certain types of leather makes toxic fumes,” she added. “Now I only use vegetable-tanned leather.”

She can also accent guitar pick guards, giving a splash of color to any instrument. The new direction for her work could open up whole new avenues for her, “but we’ll

Burned-wood earrings are a new addition to Asti’s work.

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have to see where it goes,” Asti said with a smile.

For now, she is busy completing jewelry boxes and smaller items for The Palette and the Page, and Sarafina Art House in Elkton, both of which feature her work. She’s unveiling a new website, www.ItsaAsti.com, that will spotlight her work as well.

“As an artist, I’m always trying to come up with what I think people are going to enjoy,” Asti said. “I tell people I work with steel and fire.”

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

The first wood-burning tool Asti got in the fourth grade, and her 1968 caricature.

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410-378-3032 Monday - Thursday 8:00-3:00 | Friday 8:00-5:00 | Saturday 8:00-Noon www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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—————|Cecil County Business|—————

Spotlight on Hunter’s Sale Barn

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Hunter’s Sale Barn is one of Cecil County’s most well-known businesses.

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

N

orman Hunter remembers that frigid night in January of 1975 very well. He had just purchased his own business. It was his first Monday night— sale night—as the owner of Hunter’s Sale Barn, and the winter weather outside was brutal.

“It was just me and two Holstein cows,” Hunter recalled with a laugh. “The next week, it was me and five Holstein cows.”

Out of those humble beginnings, Hunter began to build what has become, over the course of four eventful decades, one of the quintessential Cecil County businesses. Several generations of local families have made Hunter’s Sale Barn a part of their lives. In 1975, the business consisted of a stockyard selling farm animals and an auction that sold poultry, eggs, and produce. Today, Hunter’s business is really four businesses in one—an auction service, a flea market, a salvage store, and a restaurant, and people throughout the region know Hunter’s Sale Barn for at least one of those offerings.

The Holstein cows are gone, but Hunter is still here, presiding over all the activity. Stop

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

Norman Hunter turned Hunter’s Sale Barn into one of Cecil County’s quintessential businesses over the last 41 years.

by on a busy Monday night when crowds have gathered to bid on a wide variety of items, and you’ll find Hunter still immersed in the action. On a typical Monday night now, five hundred or more items will be sold in just a three-hour period in the auction room. In the early days, there would have been a handful of vendors at a sale on Monday night.

These days, there could be as many as 150 vendors from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York at the flea market.

Hunter, a resident of Rising Sun, has made use of every work experience he has had—from the knowledge he gained growing up on a farm to what he learned delivering milk door-to-door in the 1960s to his 13 years spent selling cars to make his business a success.

When he first purchased the business in the mid-1970s, Hunter was not trained as an auctioneer, but he soon learned that he would need to add that to his list of duties.

In those early days, he would hire people to serve as auctioneers, but they often did not know the products well enough to effectively auction them off. Hunter decided he would need to do the job himself, but he couldn’t spare

Hunter’s Sale Barn P.O. Box 427 Rising Sun, MD 21911

410-658-6400

the time or money needed for the training. So he borrowed some books from an auctioneer and started learning the basics of the craft that way.

“I really trained myself to be an auctioneer,” Hunter recalled, explaining that he read through the books and would practice the techniques of selling off items at a high rate of speed while hauling cattle to Philadelphia. He soon discovered that, with his outgoing personality and razorsharp mind, he was a natural at handling auctions.

“It has to come out of you—it has to flow, like playing a piano,” he explained. “And you really have to know the prices of things. An auctioneer is like an old country doctor Continued on Page 30 www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Hunter’s Sale Barn Continued from Page 29

who needs to know everything from the nose to the toes— as an auctioneer, you have to know all about the product.”

In the first years of its existence, Hunter’s Sale Barn was mostly a stockyard. But some of the older farmers in the area started to retire and sell off their lands to developers who were looking to build housing developments.

Consequently, the number of farms began to dwindle. By the mid-1980s, Hunter closed the stockyard and the poultry, egg, and produce auction, focusing more of his energies on the auctioneering part of the business.

Being able to adapt to the changing business climate has been an important part of Hunter’s success. The consignment auction grew to be a big part of the business for a period of time, but when yard sales gained popularity and people were selling their items themselves, he had to replace the consignment business by starting a salvage operation.

“I really had to be flexible,” Hunter explained. “You have to keep up with changes. It’s a rapidly changing world.”

Hunter opened a grocery store that sells wholesale items at large discounts. He will purchase damaged items from

All our s tem Menu I for le b a il Ava T! U

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big box stores by the truckload and sell them to the public at lower prices.

“These big box stores will get a package and if it’s even slightly damaged they will sell it,” Hunter explained. “Our main mission is to save the public money. I always say that the profit is in the buying, not the selling.”

The retail store carries groceries, paper towels, cleaning supplies, clothing, toys, and patio furniture. In all, there are approximately 6,000 different items that the store will carry.

“I think one of the things that makes our store interesting is that it has a lot of variety,” Hunter explained. “You never know what’s going to be on a truck, but it’s all going to be brand name stuff. I always tell people to buy it when you see it, because you might only see it once.”

The arrival of eBay and the retail tsunami that is online shopping changed the course of his business, too—it had to. But, as always, Hunter found a way to carry on. He even started an online store and an online auction to keep up with the changing times.

“I grew up in the era of paper and pencils,” Hunter explained. “I had to change. If I hadn’t changed, I would be put out of business.”

After more than 40 years in a variety of businesses, he has

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experienced a lot of ups and downs.

His family has been with him the entire way. Several family members have played important roles in the business, including his wife, Carol, who is also trained as an auctioneer. Their daughter, Ronda Fabian, is very involved in the business, managing the retail part of the business and working in marketing. The family support has really helped when challenges occur, Hunter said.

The business has survived numerous economic downturns, societal changes, and more. On Easter Sunday in 1995, a fire destroyed the building that once housed the stockyard.

“It seemed like the worst thing that ever happened that day,” Hunter explained. But in the place of the building that burned, he put up the 70-foot-by-250-foot structure to house items for the salvage business.

Through the years, Hunter has worked on some rather large auctions throughout the region. One of the biggest came in 1982 when he handled an auction at a 105-acre property in Perryville owned by Rodeo Earl Smith. Smith was a rodeo rider, stunt man, and a well-known promoter who lived in Cecil County for decades. Hunter remembers that the auction attracted between 2,000 and 2,500 people

Photo by Steven Hoffman

This Shelby Super Snake Mustang is just one of the high performance cars that Hunter owns.

who were eager to bid on the treasure trove of items up for sale—including an Abraham Lincoln campaign button.

“That was the biggest auction we ever did, and I was honored to do it,” Hunter said, explaining that the auction was, in fact, one of the biggest ever held in the county.

When he’s asked what he likes best about the business, Continued on Page 32

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Hunter’s Sale Barn Continued from Page 31

Hunter doesn’t hesitate—it’s the people.

“I love working with the public and meeting people, dealing with people, handling people’s estates,” Hunter said. “You’re dealing with everybody from professional people to the average blue collar worker, and I always try to treat everybody who walks through my door on the same level.”

He has met thousands of people through the years, and made plenty of friends along the way. About 25 years ago, he started selling permanent bidder numbers for some of the regular Monday night customers. Hunter has managed to memorize hundreds of his regular customers’ numbers.

If a winning bidder doesn’t know his own number, it’s not uncommon for the person to ask, “Where’s Norman?

He knows what my number is.”

Hunter has learned a thing or two about business during his time. The importance of trust ranks near the top of the list. Back when he was handling a lot of auctions for farmers, Hunter would sometimes ask a farmer if he wanted a contract for the business they were about to conduct. Often, the farmer would just shake his head no and say, “I trust you, Norman.”

Hunter explained, “In order to build trust, I never try to put my wallet between me and the customer. Life is all about mutual trust. Your reputation will precede you wherever you go, and you’re really going to be known by your word and whether you keep it.”

Running Hunter’s Sale Barn has been very demanding, but rewarding work. Monday’s, in particular, are a challenge—Hunter will routinely work a 14-hour day that day. Even so, running the businesses has been a labor of love for him.

“The business has really been good to my family, and it has been helpful to the community,” he said. He knows of instances where people traveled to the Rising Sun area for the first time to attend a Monday night sale, and then later on they decide to move to the area because they liked it so much.

The business has allowed him to indulge in one of his favorite hobbies: collecting cars. He currently owns more than a dozen high-performance cars, including a Shelby Super Snake Mustang and a 1956 Thunderbird. Over the years, Hunter established a friendship with Carroll Shelby, who was a noted automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Hunter even attended one Continued on Page 34

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

A wide variety of items can be found in the retail store.

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Hunter holds a picture of himself attending the birthday party of Carroll Shelby, who was a very respected car designer.

HUNTERS

AUCTION SERVICES, INC. Auction House • Flea Market • Appraiser

Hunters Auction Service, Inc. offers a wide range of services including weekly auctions, appraisals, flea market, estate auctions, discount salvage store and more!

Discount Salvage Store Mon 11am - 9pm • Wed, Thurs & Fri 9am - 6pm • Sat 9am - 3pm Closed Tuesday & Sunday

2084 Jacob Tome Highway Port Deposit, MD 21904

410.658.6400

www.huntersauctionserviceinc.com www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Hunter’s Sale Barn Continued from Page 32

of Shelby’s last birthdays before he passed away. Hunter owns a golf court, manufactured in 2010, that was made to resemble one of the Shelby Super Snake Mustangs. Only five of these golf carts were manufactured: four went to four people who served as presidents of Shelby’s automobile company, and Hunter owns the other one. On many Monday nights, Hunter can be seen zipping around on it in the midst of all the activity at Hunter’s Sale Barn, yet another illustration of just how far the business has come since that cold January night so long ago.

The salvage store is open on Monday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The flea market is open each Monday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. The auction room opens each Monday at 6 p.m.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com.

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Hunter said that the store carries a little bit of everything—including these heavy-duty safes. But he cautions that if you see something that you like, you should buy it—because you may not see the same item at the store the next time.

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There’s Never Been A Better Time to Buy! For more information call 302.653.1650 or visit www.LenapeBuilders.net 34

Cecil County Life | Spring/Summer 2016 | www.cecilcountylife.com

www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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——————|Around Cecil County|——————

Thriving and growing:

Plumpton Park Zoo’s success story

Jimmy enjoys a bright, sunny day as he watches his new home being built.

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Photo by Carla Lucas

Nick and Cheryl Lacovara by the inside feeding window of Jimmy the giraffe’s new barn.

By Carla Lucas Correspondent

J

immy, the giraffe at Plumpton Park Zoo, is moving into his new home in June.

He’s going from a cramped and barely adequate wooden barn to a luxurious, state-of-the-art building with radiant floor heating, 22-foot ceilings, and room for six. Soon (once the funds are raised), a female giraffe will join him in his new home. Then, in the not-too-distant future, baby giraffes should come along for all to enjoy.

The zoo is raising the funds for “Mrs. Jimmy” through donations and special activities. At their Spring Brew at the Zoo in May, everyone celebrated Jimmy’s 21st birthday, and all the proceeds benefited the Mrs. Jimmy Fund. The ongoing fundraiser of feeding Jimmy will change its focus to saving for Mrs. Jimmy now that the barn is built.

Continued on Page 38

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Plumpton Park Zoo Continued from Page 37

Five years ago, the zoo was shut down; the animals were not being cared for properly and code violations couldn’t be ignored. It was too much for the zoo’s founder to handle, and new homes were being found for the animals. Cheryl and Nick Lacovara, of Mullica Hill, N.J., stepped forward to try to save the zoo, and the community followed their vision to keep Plumpton Park Zoo open in Rising Sun. In the sixth season under the new leadership, many of the animals have upgraded living quarters. There are many new, exotic animals for visitors to experience. Plumpton Park Zoo is thriving and visitors are coming to feed some animals, learn about others, and just enjoy some time at this unique place.

“It’s been a long five years,” Cheryl said. “We’ve transformed this place in the five years and it continues to grow.”

Now as Zoo Director, Cheryl oversees a staff of 17 – zoo keepers, maintenance, and admissions staff – and works with hundreds of volunteers to keep everything running smoothly.

At their home in New Jersey, the Lacovaras keep another 75 exotic animals and refer to that property as The Farm.

Cheryl holds Willow, a female Bennett’s wallaby, that she is hand raising.

Cheryl brought it home from upstate New York in January when it weighed only three pounds. She carried it in the pocket of a hooded sweatshirt.

Willow now weighs 12 pounds. Cheryl hopes Willow will become part of the traveling zoo in the near future.

Photo by Carla Lucas

“The Farm is becoming the hospice farm for the older animals that shouldn’t be on display at the zoo,” Cheryl said.

“We do not want to put our animals down if they have a will to live.” Former zoo animals at The Farm include an alpaca, a mini-horse and an emu. All are partially blind and were too stressed to be on display.

When the Lacovaras first started working on the zoo, they brought over two zebra sisters from The Farm. They kept the mother and a son zebra in New Jersey. Plans are underway to swap the son with another male zebra, and bring

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the swap and the mother to Plumpton Park Zoo to start a breeding program.

New enclosures house a couple of the zoo’s newest additions: An Arctic wolf and two brown bears. The bear enclosure will be enlarged with a bigger area to play as funds become available.

Rumor, the Arctic wolf, came to the zoo as a replacement for the zoo’s two Arctic wolves (Secret and Whisper) that passed at the ripe old age of 16. Rumor came from Catoctin Zoo in Maryland. One of the Plumpton Park Zoo’s original Arctic wolves is part of her lineage.

Once construction is complete on Jimmy’s barn, new areas will be open for the public, leading from the wolves and bears towards the zebras. The fallow deer (first animals cared for on the site) will come back on display.

The brown bear cubs were born at Plumpton Park Zoo from Hope, a rescue brown bear from the Pittsburgh region.

When Hope came to the zoo, the previous owners weren’t sure if she was pregnant or not, and said if she doesn’t give birth in December she wasn’t pregnant. In January, the two cubs were born.

There are special events at the zoo year-round. On weekends during October, “Zombies at the Zoo” is becoming Continued on Page 40

Photo by Carla Lucas

Oscar is a male binturong that the Lacovaras brought to the zoo from Idaho. Binturongs are native to Southeast Asia. They are arboreal and use their prehensile tail in trees. Oscar is a favorite among the zoo’s visitors because he is quite active in his enclosure. Plans are to move him to a new enclosure closer to the entrance so he can greet guests as they arrive. In the near future, Cheryl hopes to obtain a female binturong to start breeding this endangered species.

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Plumpton Park Zoo Continued from Page 39

one of the year’s most popular events. It includes a haunted woods, a fright maze, and zombie paintball hayride. “You will be scared,” Nick said. “It is an event for older kids and adults.” This event alone uses 100 volunteers.

Summertime features the opportunity for longer explorations at Plumpton’s summer camp program, done in partnership with Cecil College. Six, week-long sessions for various age groups give youth a better understanding of exotic animals and zoos, plus the opportunity to spend extra time with the zoo’s creatures.

One great source of donations and volunteers are local companies dedicating a volunteer day. Employees from Gore, Exelon, and Mars made huge improvements at the zoo. Currently, Lowes employees are building a new enclosure for the zoo’s jackals. Old Dominion made a sizable donation toward the next new project -- a new admissions and gift shop building.

As Cheryl looks toward the future, she hopes to build a new education building with classroom spaces and research labs. She envisions classroom spaces where teachers can work with curriculum set to meet Maryland’s

Photo by Carla Lucas

Randall is an American Alligator. He came to the zoo from a row home in Philadelphia. The owner decided the alligator was too much for him to handle when it jumped over a safety gate. The alligator’s enclosure was enlarged from the original one. Nick used the expansion as an opportunity to test radiant floor heating on a small scale that would later be used for the new giraffe enclosure. Sensors inside this enclosure do not let the temperature change more than two degrees year-round. education standards. She also hopes to fill a need on the East Coast for a zoo keeper school where people interested in working with exotic animals can get hands-on instruction and proper training.

Continued on Page 42

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Cecil County Life | Spring/Summer 2016 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Jimmy’s Barn

Jimmy’s Barn is a 40-by-80-by-22-foot structure. The radiant floor heating will regulate the room’s temperature evenly, keeping him comfortable. The barn includes an indoor viewing/feeding area and a meeting space where Jimmy can stick his head through to say, ‘Hi!’ This new structure also houses the zoo’s food preparation kitchen for all the animals.

It includes a huge walk-in refrigerator, four freezers, and separate prep areas for meats and vegetables to avoid cross-contamination. There is even a drive-up entrance for the golf carts for zoo keepers to load the meals and get them to their destinations easily.

Estimated at $500,000 to complete, Jimmy’s new home started with a two-year fundraising campaign where the zoo raised $100,000 and received a matching grant from the State of Maryland. The rest came from donations and volunteer labor. Among the major contributors were Mark Clark (architect) of Clark Design Group, Home

Photo by Carla Lucas

Select Modular (metal barn structure), Tri-M Electric (all electrical materials and labor), Foam Insealators of Maryland and Virginia (blown-in insulation), Don Boggs (installed glass) of Bel Air Glass and Mirror, Muhlenberg Construction (installation services), Exelon (materials and volunteer labor), and Ikea (furnishings for meeting space and cabinets for kitchen).

The zoo will celebrate Jimmy’s move to his new home later in June.

Check their website for dates and specifics.

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Plumpton Park Zoo Continued from Page 40

To stay connected to all that is happening, join the Plumpton Park Zoo on Facebook. The website, plumptonparkzoo.org, is filled with information, too.

Photo by Carla Lucas Photo by Carla Lucas

The two brown bears born at Plumpton Park Zoo enjoy a sunny day.

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One of the unique aspects of Plumpton Park Zoo is the close-up experiences of feeding many of the animals.

——————|Cecil County Life|——————

Cecil College scholarship honors friend’s impact T

he McCormick Karate Academy will always hold a special place in the hearts of the recently married Tracey Schultheis and Jonathan Sanbuichi.

Not only did they meet at the Oxford, Pa., business, but they also had the privilege of being instructed by its owner, Sean McCormick, who passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 45 on Oct. 29, 2014. McCormick was way more than just a teacher to Schultheis and Sanbuichi, and they have honored him by donating $700 of the money they received as wedding gifts to the Cecil College Foundation to establish the Sean M. McCormick Memorial Scholarship.

“Sean had such a huge impact on both of our lives and so many other lives as well,” said Schultheis.

“We just felt what better way to honor him than to have him continue to impact people’s lives through this scholarship.”

The scholarship will support a Cecil County resident, with financial need, pursuing a degree in Cecil’s physical therapist assistant program. Along with being created in memory of McCormick, it also honors the value he placed on character, which Schultheis defines as perseverance, kindness, doing what you say are going to do, giving 110 percent, honesty, and trustworthiness.

“We wanted to keep our donation local, and we wanted to make sure the funds went to the intended purpose,” said Schultheis whose son attends Cecil. “Cecil College has done a lot of good for so many people in the community who cannot afford a university.”

In addition to looking to support one of the college’s newest degree offerings, the scholarship recognizes the many hours of physical therapy undergone by McCormick. Schultheis has also relied on physical therapy herself following her multiple knee injuries.

Courtesy photo

Tracey Schultheis, left, and Jonathan Sanbuichi, right, have honored their close friend Sean McCormick, center, by making a donation to the Cecil College Foundation to establish the Sean M. McCormick Memorial Scholarship.

McCormick’s teachings continue to impact lives through Schultheis and Sanbuichi who opened San’s Martial Arts in North East in 2012. Schultheis is also involved in the community as the owner of T & M Catering.

Cecil College’s physical therapist assistant program has been designed to provide a foundation for graduates to become highly skilled in providing patient and client services using physical therapy techniques under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Culminating in an Associate of Applied Science degree, graduates are prepared to take the national licensing examination, required to practice in all states.

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————|Chesapeake City events|———— C&D Canal Museum open weekends

Weekends through Oct. 29 and 30 C& D Canal Museum open 11a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Free admission. Groups welcome.

815 Bethel Rd, Chesapeake City This extraordinary gem of a museum traces the history of what was once touted as the world’s third-busiest shipping canal. The museum is in its second season of being available to the public on the weekends, and seasonal visitors to Chesapeake City are excited to be able to tour the facility and enjoy the waterfront park-like setting. This waterfront historic site is located inside the original 18th century pump house that once controlled the water levels in the locks along the first edition of the canal. Interactive displays, fascinating videos and more enchant visitors of all ages. These special weekend hours are made possible through sponsorships by the Chesapeake Inn and Marina, Schaefers Restaurant and Canal Bar, The Bayard House, and the Town of Chesapeake City. Representatives from the staffs of restaurants are the museum hosts on the weekends.

Call 410-885-5621 for more information.

Independence Day celebration and fireworks extravaganza

July 1 Concert in the park at 5:30 p.m. in Pell Gardens Fireworks Extravaganza – 9 p.m.

Patriotic concert at the bandstand, and then Fireworks!

Best viewing is anywhere along Chesapeake City’s canal-front, on either the north or south sides of town, for this amazing pyrotechnic lighting extravaganza. Vendors will be offering crab cakes, pulled pork sandwiches, water ice, ice cream, and much more on both the north and south sides of the canal.

Continued on Page 46

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————|Chesapeake City events|———— Continued from Page 45

Summer Sundays in the park

Concerts take place at Pell Gardens from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Here is a list of scheduled performers: July 2 – Acoustic Turnpike (Please note that this is the only Saturday concert on the schedule).

July 10 - Charlie Hitman; July 17 – The Dublin 5; July 24 – TBD July 31 - The Sensations; August 7 – Day Tripper; August 14 – Summit Bluegrass; August 21 – Blues Keeper; August 28 – Larry Tucker Band Contact: Harriet Davis 410-885-2415

Chesapeake City Farmers’ Market

Through Aug. 27, each Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sponsored by Chesapeake City United Methodist Church and Chesapeake City Chamber of Commerce Filasky’s Produce of Middletown, Delaware, and Bohemia Farms Produce of Earleville, Maryland will

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have fresh produce, and homemade products for sale in Pell Gardens.

Famous annual vintage car show

The annual vintage car show takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 in the Chesapeake City Historic District. Over 600 vintage vehicles on display competing for prizes. Contact the Chesapeake City Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-757-6030 for more information.

Shakespeare in the Park in the Dark

“Cymbeline” will be performed by the Brown Box Theatre Project from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Pell Gardens on Sept. 17.

Set in Ancient Britain, the play is based on legend. Critics often classify “Cymbeline” as a romance or even comedy. It deals with the themes of innocence and jealousy.

Contact the Brown Box Theatre - Kyler Taustin at 443880-4328 or Chesapeake City- 410-885-5298 for more information.

Tour de canal

On Sept. 24, the Ben Cardin C&D Canal Recreational Trail will be the site of an annual family biking benefit.

Participants will bike from the Ben Cardin Trailhead to Delaware and back. The cost is $35 per person. The event benefits Deep Roots Inc., The Paris Foundation, Generation Station and Chesapeake City Ecumenical Association. Participants collect tokens along the way.

Prizes are awarded. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact: Lori Goldsmith, Deep Roots Inc., 410-275-2194 for more information.

Annual ghost walk

The popular annual ghost walk of Chesapeake City’s Historic District will take place on Oct. 21 and 22 From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is sponsored by

Chesapeake City Civic Association and North Chesapeake City Neighborhood Association. Contact: Harriet Davis – 410-885-2415 for more information.

Holiday Pet Parade and Santa’s arrival

Chesapeake City Historic District November 19 Parade Registration at 10:30 am, Parade Starts at Noon Contact: Natalie Gentry – 410-920-7018

5th annual Winterfest of Lights

The 5th annual Winterfest of lights on both sides of the Canal will take place Nov. 27 through the first week of January 2017. The 5th annual display of lights, and holiday events will also feature carolers, carriage rides, Santa’s Workshop, and more during the weekends. Contact Chesapeake City 410-885-5298 for more information.

Lions Club tree-lighting and concert

Pell Gardens November 27 beginning at 6 p.m.

Tree-lighting Ceremony, holiday concert, and Santa arrives in a horse-drawn wagon. Contact Natalie Gentry – 410-920-7018 for more information.

Annual candlelight tour of homes

The annual candlelight tour of homes is set for Dec. 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Contact: Mary Iopolla – 443-5530071 for more information.

Individual & Family Outings • Wine tastings • Booze Cruise • Graduation Parties • Retirement/Birthday Parties • Wedding Rehearsals • Tours & Sightseeing Corporate/Small Business Events • Networking events • Team building • Holiday parties • Company picnics • Charity & Non profit events • New product launches

2 Hour boat tours of the C&D Canal and Elk River

day!

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——————|Cecil County Places|—————— When Brenda Dedrick and her husband Warren purchased the 440-acre Bohemia Manor Farm in 2013, it was the start of a dream. Now, with nearly 25,000 vines yielding great wines at Chateau Bu-De Vineyards in Chesapeake City, the dream is flourishing

The vineyard on the banks of the Bohemia

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

W

inemaker Jacques Van der Vyer stands in the middle of a skyline of 17 tall stainless steel wine tanks at Chateau Bu-De Vineyards in Chesapeake City, while just outside, acres of new spring vines tumble down, row after row, to the quiet Bohemia River.

In the vineyard’s brand new, ten-thousand square-foot climate controlled processing winery, he speaks about the technology around him with infectious enthusiasm, the way a young boy would in a room full of toys. There are state-of-the-art grape presses, pumps, hoists, crushers, de-stemmers, and columns of oak barrels, all of which is being used to process, ferment, bottle and eventually distribute wines that have already earned their mark throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, and beyond.

Mostly though, Van der Vyer is a caretaker of a dream that started three years ago by Brenda and Warren Dedrick, who live next door at the original site of Augustine Herrman’s historical Bohemia Manor Farm, on what is a 440-acre sanctuary of views and vistas.

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“There are winemakers in California who don’t have anywhere near what we have at Chateau,” Van der Vyer said. “Brenda and Warren have put a lot of quality into the processing plant, but at the same time, they know that in order to make great wines, this technology is what it will take.”

After traveling the world for seven years and sampling different wines, the Dedricks decided to make their way back to the United States, in order to make Brenda’s dream happen: to grow and craft world class wines. Soon after they purchased the mansion and property in July 2013, the Dedricks started the vineyard from scratch. Working with Van der Vyer and winemakers John Levenberg and Brian Dickerson, the Dedricks oversaw the transplanting of 14,000 vines in 2014, and then another 10,000 vines in 2015.

Soon after, the processing center -- which was constructed by Newark-based Nowland Associates, Inc. -- opened last September, just in time for the harvest season.

“Part of the reason we went big (on the processing plant) is that my husband believes if you’re starting a company, you need to try to be as successful as you can,”

Brenda said. “When we first started designing it, we were looking to build it up in three- to five-year increments, but once we realized that codes change frequently, we decided to have the best possible facility starting out.”

Normally, a vineyard of this kind would need several harvests before it could begin to enjoy the fruits of its labors, but the trajectory of Chateau Bu-De Winery’s presence on the wine scene was nearly immediate.

The Dedricks are now producing 14 varieties of reds and whites, and most recently, the vineyard earned one gold medal, four silver medals and three bronze medals at the Finger Lakes Wine Competition in New York.

For Van der Vyer, who lives on the estate property with his wife, his work as the vineyard’s winemaker is a seven-day-a-week commitment, one that takes him from the processing center to the vineyard throughout the day. A native of South Africa, Van der Vyer loves the meticulousness of being a winemaker. In the making of wine, Continued on Page 52 Photo by Jie Deng

Jacques Vandervyer, the winemaker at Chateau Bu-De Vineyard.

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Chateau Bu-De Continued from Page 51

he eschews the idea of attaching the word “artist” to winemaking. Rather, he thinks of himself as a caretaker, protecting his wines but at the same time, letting them develop into their own unique charcters, all intended to make a great bottle of wine.

“I’m not someone who checks off boxes when tasting and making wine,” Van der Vyer said. “For me, it’s finding the finesse in creating the balance between acidity, fruit, oak and finish. That’s what I want most in making a great bottle of wine.

Achieving balance is the most important thing in wine.”

Although he loves the rush of excitement he feels during harvest time, Van der Vyer treasures those moments when he and his wife and friends get to sit near the vineyard as the sun slowly sets over the Bohemia River, after a hard day on the job.

“It’s the time when I get to enjoy what I’ve done, when that wine gets to bottle and I’m able to pour it for someone, and they tell me that they enjoy it,” he said. “It’s just a wave of awesome.”

For every one hundred things she has learned in the process of owning and operating a vineyard, Brenda said that there are one hundred more things she still needs to learn. In addition to overseeing the planting and processing, the construction of the

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Photo by Jie Deng

The vineyard’s wines are stored before bottling in oak barrels.

new tasting room, she coordinates all public events at Chateau Bu-De Vineyard, from banquets to group wine tastings.

“We set our goals very high and aim to reach them,” Brenda said. “Our main goal is to make a high quality estate wine that will gain attention in competitions, and then bring the people to us here on the estate. In three to five years, I’d like to have the feeling of being overwhelmed, because we’re doing so well.

“Build it, and they will come,” she said. “This has been my passion and my dream, and as the secret of Chateau Bu-De Vineyard gets out, we’ll continue to push that dream forward.”

Chateau Bu-De Vineyard is located at 237 Bohemia Manor Farm Lane, Chesapeake City, MD 21915. For appointments and special event reservations, call 410-885-2500. To learn more about Chateau Bu-De Vineyard, visit www.chateaubude.com .

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@chestercounty.com .

Continued on Page 54

Summer Hours at Chateau Bu-De Vineyard Wed. & Thur., from 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Sat. & Sun., from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The new tasting room is now open, with views of the vineyard and the Bohemia River!

Photo by Jie Deng

The 10,000-square-foot processing center at Chateau Bu-De Vineyard features state-of-the-art winemaking technology.

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Chateau Bu-De Continued from Page 53

Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Features aromatics of lime and grapefruit. This fruit driven wine will deliver a full-bodied mid palate, showcasing mineral components in the lengthy finish.

Chardonnay 2012 Displays hints of lemon zest, butterscotch and creme fraiche, with notes of pear and green apple and has a well-structured middle.

Flagship 2012 Fantastically complex with lime, tropical fruit and honeysuckle in the nose, followed by the chardonnay influenced mid-palate of pear and toasted vanilla.

What’s on the menu at Chateau Bu-De Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Features aromatics of lime and grapefruit. The tropical characteristics of this wine will deliver a full body’s mid-palate, showcasing mineral components with a touch of vanilla in the finish.

Rose 2013 Features aromatics of cherry, cranberry and apricot. The Rose was made with the Saignee process of bleeding or pulling juice from a tank of red that is just beginning fermentation.

Viognier 2013 This white wine is best consumed young. It has a floral bouquet and tastes of honeysuckle and violets, with powdered sugar and a hint of vanilla frosting.

CHATEAU BU-DE Bohemia Manor Farm Winery & Vineyard

Chardonnay 2013 Displays hints of lemon zest, butterscotch and creme fraiche, with a notes of pear and green apple with a well-structured middle, finishing with a luxurious weight and thickness.

Light House Red 2013 A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, with hints of black cherry, blueberry, and coffee – and a spicy earthy character with a vanilla finish.

Flagship White 2013 Contributes lime, tropical fruit and honeysuckle in the nose, with a touch of violet bouquet from the Viognier, followed by the Chardonnay influenced mid-palate of pear and toasted vanilla.

Bright, crisp wine with a thick rich finish.

Tasting Room Hours Wed, & Thurs 2p-7:30p Fri, Sat, & Sun 11a-7:30p Call or email to schedule events & weddings Located on the Bohemia River & Scenic Byway 213 The original site of Augustine Herrman’s Historical Bohemia Manor

410-885-2500 | 237 Bohemia Manor Farm Lane Chesapeake City, MD 21915 | www.chateaubude.com 54

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Reserve Chardonnay 2013 A complex aroma with hints of lemon zest, honey and creme fraiche, and a wheat and grain finish. This wine receives its distinctive characteristics from a fermentation that takes place in French oak barrels.

Reserve Red 2013 A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with hints of black cherry, blueberry, coffee – and a spicy earthy character. This wine was barrel fermented for 16 months.

Merlot 2103 Rich aromas of cherry and ripe plum, with the flavors of raspberry, cherry and mocha.

It has a medium body and a interesting medium-length finish. This wine was barrel fermented for 16 months.

Photo by Jie Deng

The vineyard is located on the banks of the Bohemia River.

Cabernet Franc Blend 2013 A blend of Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cab Franc lends a peppery perfume to blends with more robust flavor, which offer the aromas of raspberries, bell pepper and violets. This wine was barrel fermented 16 months.

Wayward Red A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, with hints of black cherry, blueberry and an earthy character, with a vanilla finish. This wine was barrel fermented for 16 months.

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——————|Around Cecil County|——————

A paradise for horse lovers

Appleton Equestrian builds on a long history with the community

By John Chambless Staff Writer

J

Photo by John Chambless

Hutchings and Sebring with Circulate, a former race horse who is used for lessons.

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uliana Hutchings has a snapshot of herself as a young girl, with a too-large riding helmet covering her eyes and a beaming smile that shows how proud she is to be sitting astride a small horse.

The photo was taken at Appleton Stables. Today, Hutchings has taken over running the facility.

“I bought my first horse here,” Hutchings said during a tour of the business, now called Appleton Equestrian, on Appleton Road in Elkton. “This was the common ground where Cecil County

people learned to ride, and where horse shows were held. This was where my first horse show was, when I was 4.”

In late October of last year, Hutchings and her boyfriend, Ian Sebring, who are both 26, with funding from her father, bought the 20-acre property from its previous owner.

“She bought it and ran it for 30-plus years,” Hutchings said.

“This was on the market for quite a while. The reason she sold to us was that she had known me. She wanted the farm to go to someone who was going to do teaching and shows. She loved kids, and she wanted somebody to carry on her dream, which is exactly what I wanted to do.”

Hutchings grew up in Landenberg. Her love of horses began, she said, “literally before I could walk. I was an infant. I don’t remember it, but there are photos of me sitting on a horse while someone holds me. My dad’s horse, Hubert, was the first horse I ever rode.”

Her childhood and teen years were spent competing, and she dreamed of someday making a career out of riding. During college in Columbia, S.C., in 2011, she met Sebring, who had dreamed of someday owning his own farm. After college, Hutchings tried working in life insurance, as a graphic designer and a property manager, “but I kept coming back to horses,” she said.

She knew Appleton was up for sale, but never considered buying it until her mother mentioned that she should ask her father to fund the purchase. “My dad’s a CPA, he’s always been a very realistic, money-focused person,” she said. “He always said, ‘You can’t make a living off of horses.’ But he finally came around. Buying this was pretty much his idea. We came up with a business plan to pitch to my dad. We worked it out so we pay rent to him, and we’re slowly working it off.”

She and Sebring live in the large home near the barns, and they’ve been busy over the winter and spring. Sebring built new fencing and a tack room in the barn, and cleared out the overgrown property. They’ve begun restoring the pool behind the house and tending to the 17 horses that live at Appleton, seven of which are used for riding instruction. Sebring works at Tractor Supply in Elkton. But getting a revamped business up and running is pretty much a full-time job for them both.

“I love teaching, and imparting my knowledge to others,” Hutchings said. “I love competing and the challenge of it. I love to ride to achieve something, so I like to work toward a goal. It’s inspiring to see my students improve.

“We started an eventing team here for three-day eventing,” Hutchings said. “That’s my favorite sport. I have 11 riders on the team now. We go around and compete. Although I’m not competing right now, I’m putting it all into my riders. I want to

Photo by John Chambless

There are five cats who roam the property, keeping mice at bay.

Courtesy photos

Above: Hutchings is led around at Appleton Stables when she was a child. She now owns the facility.

Below: Young Juliana Hutchings on a horse, with her parents and sister.

Continued on Page 58

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build up the farm first, before I go back to competing.”

The main barn has 10 stalls. There are two smaller barns, with 10 more stalls. The labor of keeping them clean and caring for the horses is shared with students, who work off the fees for their lessons by working on the farm. “It’s essentially the two of us, with an occasional student,” Hutchings said.

Walking around the sprawling property, Sebring and Hutchings pointed out the chickens exploring their pen in the back yard.

“They pretty much have the life of Riley,” Hutchings said. “We also have two ducks and a peacock, named Appleton. And five cats. The farm came with nine cats, but my dad did not like us feeding nine cats. So four went to other barn homes.”

Among the horses on site, Verbina, 25, is ideal as a trainer, Hutchings said. “She’s what we call our dressage schoolmaster.

She is basically good at everything, and can teach a rider who knows nothing about dressage and make them feel like they’re ready for the Olympics.” For the youngest riders, Checkers, a pony, “teaches all the beginners,” Hutchings said.

As a side project, Hutchings is also an author. She wrote “A Horse to Remember” when she was 14, based on a game that she and her sister used to play with their toy Breyer horses. The book,

Photo by John Chambless

Juliana Hutchings has written two books about girls and their horses.

published when she was 17, has been followed with a sequel that Hutchings wrote and self-published after she finished college. “It’s a girl and horse story, in a lesson barn setting, so it’s kind of like my life now,” she said.

Appleton Equestrian has lessons for adults and children, hosts shows, and offers an “EquiShare” program in which participants can pay a monthly fee and get as many weekly rides as they want on

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horses that live at the farm. The facility is across the road from 5,600 acres of pristine open land in Fair Hill’s park that riders are welcome to use.

“We’d like to bring back horse shows, we’ve had an interest in Western shows, like barrel racing, and we want to serve the community for quality riding instruction,” Hutchings said. “We want to meet the needs of upper-level riders who don’t necessarily want to ride with the Olympians, but are looking for somebody who knows what they’re talking about.”

Someday, Hutchings and Sebring envision adding an indoor arena to the Continued on Page 60 Photo by John Chambless

Hutchings and Sebring in the newly built tack house in the main barn.

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Appleton Equestrian Continued from Page 59

property, but that’s at least $100,000 away. For now, “this is a dream come true,” Hutchings said with a wide smile. “We’d like to raise a family here someday. This is really the best place for us.”

For more information, visit www.appletonequestrian.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

Photos by John Chambless

Above: The two smaller barns on the property.

Left: The main barn has 10 stalls.

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————|Cecil County Photo Essay|————

Where around Elkton A photo game by Carla Lucas This is a game. It is a game of how well you know the Elkton region of Cecil County.

I’ve chosen three popular locations: Main Street in Elkton, Fair Hill Natural Resources Area, and Milburn Orchards.

Can you identify the exact locations from the photos? If not, get out to explore some more and find the spots the photos were taken in person! (Or turn to pages ?? and ?? for the far-off view.)

Get all 16 right and you are an Elkton Genius. Get 13 to 15 correct and you are an Elkton Fanatic.

Get nine to 12 correct and you are an Elkton Expert. Get five to eight correct and you are an Elkton Novice.

There’s no way you can’t get less than five. If you do, you need to get out and explore some more!

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The answers revealed: Milburn Orchards

1 The apple trees -- what Milburn is famous for!

2 The goat at the top of the pumpkin house.

4

3 The stained-glass window in the farm store.

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The apple crates near the warehouse.

The answers revealed: Fair Hill Natural Resources Area

5 Horse pastures by Foxcatcher Farm Covered Bridge (They can be found all over the area, too).

7 Inside the Foxcatcher Farm Covered Bridge.

8 9 Stable along Tawes Road (The mounting block is across the street).

6 Pump house on Tawes Road.

10 Horse jumps along the cross-country course, near Gallaher Road.

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The answers revealed: Main Street, Elkton

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14 Chapel sign, by Wedding Chapel Historic Marker.

Reverend Duke’s log house, the oldest structure in Elkton, was saved from demolition by moving it behind the Cecil County Historical Society’s building.

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At the top of the arch in front of the Elkton Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center.

Painted Elk in front of Elkton Florists.

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Minihane’s Irish Pub and Restaurant.

——————|Cecil County History|——————

Preserving an historic treasure

Ever since the town of Elkton purchased Historic Elk Landing, efforts to preserve, protect, and restore the site have progressed

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

H

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Josh Brown, the president of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation, said that a considerable amount of work has already been accomplished in the effort to preserve and restore Historic Elk Landing.

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istorical events with local, regional, and national significance have taken place at Elk Landing, a tract of land along the shores of the Little Elk and Big Elk creeks in Cecil County. Elk Landing was situated along one of the earliest major shipping routes in the region during the time before the colonies united, making it a bustling center of colonial activity where goods were shipped and people were transported to points north and south. Because of Cecil County’s centralized location, it has often found itself right in the middle of history.

The historical significance of Elk Landing prompted local officials and a group of citizens from the Elkton area to attempt to preserve it. The town of Elkton purchased the Elk Landing property, including the Hollingsworth House and the Stone House, in 1999.

The Historic Elk Landing Foundation was then formed to oversee the preservation and operations of the site as the town leased the property to the foundation for 99 years.

“The town of Elkton saw the property as a diamond in the rough,” explained Josh Brown, the president of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation.

Mike Dixon, a local historian, Rob Alt, the mayor of Elkton, and Jeanne Minner of the Elkton Department of

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Between 1889 and 1911, large barges and canal boats were constructed at Elk Landing.

Photo by Steven Hoffman

When the Historic Elk Landing Foundation took over after Elkton purchased the site in 1999, immediate work was needed on the Stone House to keep it from falling into ruin.

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Extensive work has been done on the interior and exterior of the Hollingsworth House.

Planning were all early supporters of the effort to restore and preserve Elk Landing, and an examination of the history that has taken place in and around the site explains why.

Zebulon Hollingsworth acquired the parcels of land and created Elk Landing in the 18th Century.

In August of 1777, 15,000 British troops landed on the shores of the Elk River and marched across the Hollingsworth property to make a camp nearby. There were more British troops than there were citizens in the

county at the time, and local residents were forced to hide their horses, cattle, and valuables from the soldiers. In September, these British forces would clash with American troops under the direction of Gen. George Washington at the Battle of the Brandywine. But before that happened, Gen. Washington visited Delaware and then Cecil County to observe the movements of the British troops. He is said to have stayed in a hotel owned by Jacob Hollingsworth.

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A few years later, in 1781, Gen. Washington led American and French troops on transport ships at the Head of Elk and Elk Landing as they travelled to Yorktown, Virginia, where they would gain the final victory in the Revolutionary War. While no battles took place in Cecil County, the area certainly played a role in the American Revolution.

In 1813, the British returned to the area as the War of 1812 raged on. The British Navy forces wreaked havoc on Principio Furnace, a major manufacturer of cannons for the United States. The British burned the plant and destroyed the finished weapons so that they could not be used. When the British troops arrived at Elk Landing, local citizens had established a small defense, and the British Troops were prevented from burning down Elkton.

Brown was enlisted to join the Historic Elk Landing Foundation’s board of directors about six months after the organization began its work in 1999 because of his knowledge about building repairs—his family is the longtime owner of American Home & Hardware

Photo by Steven Hoffman

This explains how Elkton was defended from British troops during the War of 1812.

on Main Street in Elkton. His knowledge was immediately put to good use. According to Brown, the Hollingsworth House and the Stone House were in a state of disrepair after many decades of neglect—a sad fate for two buildings with long and storied histories. The Hollingsworth House can trace its origins to at least

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1790, and was home to one of Elkton’s most prominent families. The Stone House was a dwelling, a tavern, and a storage house at various times in its history. Brown recalled that the Stone House needed critical repairs just to stabilize it and save it from ruin. The Hollingsworth House needed a new roof and a new porch to protect it from the elements.

Within a year, the foundation had managed to pull together the necessary funding from both public and private donations for the critical repairs to be made.

That allowed the foundation to turn its focus to more long-term restoration efforts. They undertook archeological studies, provided electrical service to the site, made improvements to the HVAC and plumbing systems of the Hollingsworth House, and began making interior repairs.

Brown explained that the state, county, and town have all worked collaboratively to support the preservation of the historic site, including the woodlands, fields, and wetlands that are a part of the 50-acre property.

“We’ve done a lot with the buildings, and everything we’ve done has been done painstakingly because we want it to be accurate,” Brown said. He estimates that they’ve

Photo by Steven Hoffman

A table is set up for a tea event that was held in the Hollingsworth House this spring.

spent a total of about $2 million—$1.5 million in restoration work on the two buildings and the remaining $500,000 on other maintenance and restoration efforts on the properties. The costs of doing historically accurate restorations is high, but it’s also important.

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Decades of historical materials were inside the Hollingsworth House. It was a huge undertaking to catalog the contents of the house.

“We have lots and lots of artifacts,” Brown explained.

“There is a treasure trove of paperwork.”

Included in that treasure trove were four letters by John Quincy Adams one letter handwritten by Thomas Jefferson.

“It is one of the most pristine letters written by Thomas Jefferson that has ever been found,” Brown explained.

The foundation ultimately decided to sell the historic documents to fund some of the restoration work on the site.

A dedicated team of supporters has been invaluable to the efforts to preserve and restore Historic Elk Landing. Brown said that there about 15 people who serve on the board of directors, and each person contributes something important to the cause.

“We really have a wealth of knowledge on the board,” Brown said. One example is Bob Piazza, who is a talented furniture restorer who has been working on making numerous improvements to the interior of the Hollingsworth

Historic Elk Landing 410-620-6400 www.elklanding.org.

House. Piazza’s efforts have saved the foundation thousands of dollars.

Brown said that they will continue to work on fully restoring the Hollingsworth House and the Stone House.

With all the work that has already been completed on the Hollingsworth House, only about another $20,000 in major upgrades are still needed.

“We’re in much more manageable restoration efforts now,” Brown said, explaining that this will allow the foundation’s board members to turn their attention toward other efforts. For example, they are currently putting the finishing touches on a timeline inside the Hollingsworth House that will illustrate the history of the property for visitors.

They are now turning their efforts to community outreach,

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planning special events to attract new groups to the site, like a tea party that was planned in May. Some of these events help raise money for the preservation efforts.

The foundation wants to develop an interactive self-guided tour on the property. Brown explained that the site is a town park, so people can come in to the property during the day, although the two main buildings are closed to the public except during the planned events.

They have periodically brought in military re-enactors to recreate the history on the site.

“We really want to turn it into a living history museum,” said Pat Opel, the vice president of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation.

Brown explained that they want to share the history of the site with as many people as possible. On one recent day, 200 eighth-graders visited Elk Landing to learn about the history of the site and to have a day of service by making improvements to the grounds by doing small chores. This kind of outreach fits with the foundation’s vision for the future of Historic Elk Landing.

“I really enjoy history,” Brown explained. “When you can put a local touch on it, I really think that helps. We’re going to try to do more teaching, to offer more education programs. We will have a couple of open houses planned for this summer. We’ve got a lot of things in progress.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com.

Photo by Steven Hoffman

This is a copy of the letter handwritten by Thomas Jefferson that was found among the documents in the Hollingsworth House. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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——————|Cecil County History|——————

Rich in history:

A look at the towns of Cecil County past The first inhabitants of our region were Native Americans. White men found their way to the county by boat in the early 1600s. Being at the top of the Chesapeake Bay fostered the growth of the area, as many travelers, tradesmen and founding fathers visited the region. Cecil County was a border town during the Civil War, with some residents supporting the Confederates and others sympathizing with the Union. Perryville was a critical staging area for Union soldiers and supplies.

Here, we take a look at the history of the towns of Cecil County.

Circa 1665 - Rodgers Tavern (Perryville), originally known as Stevenson’s Tavern. It was originally called the Ferry House, since it was built next to the ferry. George Washington frequently visited between 1755 and 1798.

1723 - Principio Furnace, near Perryville, on Principio Creek, was the first furnace in Maryland and one of the first in the United States, it provided pig iron and was a leading iron producer during the colonial period.

Mid 1700s - Greenfield Castle (Cecilton) the Georgian manor home of John and Mary Ward, is known for its beautiful paintings and woodwork.

1900s - Gilpin Falls Covered Bridge, surviving from before the Civil War. Once called “Our little bridge to nowhere” by the Cecil Whig, the bridge restoration was completed in 2010.

1908 - Union Hospital, Elkton.

Between 1914 and 1927, this hospital certified 14 classes of young women who earned their professional diplomas as nurses.

1910 - Ice slammed into the houses and other buildings on Main Street in Port Deposit. Some occupants had to be rescued from the second stories of their homes, and 24 single homes and 40 apartments were either destroyed or badly damaged. There was little warning of the flood, other than the sound of the cracking ice on the Susquehanna.

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Historic pictures supplied by the Cecil County Historical Society and Mike Dixon.

Circa 1910 - Turkey Point Lighthouse, North East. One of the last lighthouses constructed on the Chesapeake Bay. The lighthouse was manned for 115 years, and many women served as lighthouse keepers.

1914 - National Bank of Rising Sun, Rising Sun. When the bank opened its doors in 1872, the horse was the mode of transportation. It is one of only two banks that did not close during the Great Depression.

1913 – Women march into Cecil County for women’s rights, Elkton. In 1920, The 19th Amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote. More than 1,000 women registered.

1921 - After running the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal for almost 100 years, the stockholders turned it over to the U.S. Government in 1919. Right away, the Army Corps of Engineers began the laborious task of deepening, widening and making the canal more straight. Today it is the busiest canal in the nation.

1923 - Holloway Beach, Charlestown, on the North East River, became a summer destination for vacationers hoping to cool off in the water.

Late 1928 - Conowingo Dam Hydroelectric Plant begins commerical operation - Starting in 1925, more than 5000 people came to Northeastern Maryland looking for good pay to construct the plant. It is not clear how many were killed, injured or disabled working on the dam. It is second only to Niagara Falls by output. When the last of the big gates closed to collect water behind the dam, the village of Conowingo was submerged forever.

Between 1918 and 1939 - A parade marches down Main Street in front of the Howard House as the crowd watches.

1958 - The Charlestown Volunteer Fire Company deploys two boats to respond to water emergencies. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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——————|Around Cecil County|——————

Perryville Farmers Market: A Farm to Fork experience

Lisa Fieldman Correspondent

E

very Friday from May through October, the town of Perryville holds a farmers market in picturesque Lower Ferry Park.

Vendors start setting up their stands for the market’s opening at 3 p.m., and shoppers select farm-fresh produce, eggs, baked goods, and many other offerings until the market closes at 7 p.m.

Amanda Hickman, Perryville’s economic development coordinator, said, “We like the time slot. It allows people to stop by and do their shopping on their way home from work.”

Located along the Susquehanna River, the market is a nice place to browse and stock up on provisions for the weekend.

All the products must be locally grown or sourced. “We do not allow vendors who are re-sellers,” Hickman said. “All the goods have to be produced locally by the vendor.”

New to the market this year is Thunder Ridge Kettle Corn. John and Theresa Miller were traveling through North Carolina when they saw a roadside kettle corn stand. Theresa asked John if he had

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Photo by S. Halford

Amanda Hickman organizes the market.

ever tried kettle corn, and when he said he had not, she insisted they stop.

“We waited in a long line,” said John, and it was love at first bite. He found the sweet and salty popcorn so delicious that he wanted to share it with other people.

He started looking for equipment to start his own kettle corn business. In 2010, bought his set-up from a seller in Charlotte, N.C. He and Theresa developed their own recipe. “Not all kettle corn tastes the same,” he explained. “Once you taste ours, you’ll be hooked!”

Thunder Ridge offers other flavors, such as caramel, cinnamon and sugar, and strawberry. The corn can be colored for sporting events or baby showers.

Polly Dougherty is a home baker who understands how a cookie can put a smile on anyone’s face. Her market stand, Comfort Zone Cookies, has a delectable display of home-baked goodness.

“I bake eight cookie varieties,” Dougherty said, “and seven are original recipes.” Her chocolate chip cookies are the traditional recipe and her oatmeal raisin cookies are gluten free.

Ten months of the year, Dougherty lives in Crystal River, Fla., where she also bakes and sells cookies. “I come visit my daughter in May and June each year,” she explained.

Dougherty sells her cookies at the Perryville Farmers Market while in the area.

The view from the market is just one of the reasons Kathy Fielder enjoys selling at Perryville.

“It’s a gorgeous view!” she said. She and her husband Ed are the FCD Foods vendors. Fielder’s Choice Delectables was started when the couple began canning the bounty of their garden. On a whim, they took a few jars of pickle relish to the Maryland State Fair and won first place. From that humble beginning they have developed a huge assortment of jams, salsas, hot sauces and relishes. They still enjoy competing at festivals and state fairs, and continue to win.

“Last winter we placed first in the Super Hot Salsa category with out Reaper Pepper Salsa,” Ed said. Kathy added, “We also won first place for our mild salsa.” These wins were at the National Fiery Foods Festival in Albuquerque, N.M. Salsa and hot sauce are big sellers for FCD Foods. Made with all homegrown ingredients, there are eight varieties of salsa available, from mild to XXX hot. If you’re looking to spice things up, you can choose between Peach Habanera Hot Sauce, Ghost Pepper, Reaper or Scorpion Hot sauce.

“We offer samples of our hot sauces at the farm market,” Continued on Page 78

Photo by S. Halford

John Miller sells his popular Thunder Ridge Kettle Corn.

Photo by S. Halford

Friendly Kat will help you select the perfect produce from Van Houten Gardens. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Iron Bridge Farm

Farmers Market Continued from Page 77

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Kathy said. Tastings are done with a toothpick dipped in the sauce.

“I often ask if their life insurance is paid up before they taste our hot sauces,” she said, laughing.

If you prefer sweet to fiery, there are many jellies and jams available. In addition to traditional strawberry, raspberry and cherry jams, there are innovative flavors like Hot Mango and Hot Pineapple. As you can guess, these “hot” jams incorporate habanero peppers to give it a kick.

Seasonal items like apple butter, cranberry jelly and apple cider jelly are also popular. Last year, the Fielders added homemade sauerkraut, and will be bringing it back this year due to its popularity.

Ed Fielder grows all the ingredients for their recipes in his one-acre garden. “We planted 3,000 onions, 400 to 600 tomato plants, and have 200 pepper plants ready

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Pick up some annuals or perennials at the Van Houten Gardens market stand.

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to go in the ground,” Kathy said. Later in the summer, they will stockpile canned tomatoes and other produce to have on hand for winter production of their recipes.

“We could never use commercial canned tomatoes for our salsa,” Kathy said. “It would ruin the flavor.”

In addition to the veggies, the Fielders grow much of their own fruit for the jams and jellies. “We have a special every week. Mix and match five items for $20.”

Kathy said. “It gives people a chance to try our different products.”

Van Houten Gardens offers a garden center experience, along with fresh produce, fruit and herbs. Choose from hanging baskets, annuals and perennials for your landscape, and pick up fresh eggs from cage-free chickens.

Kat Zalewski-Bednarek runs the market stall for the Van Houten family.

“Our supplies come from our farm in the Poconos and our nursery in Bel Air,” she said. The produce offered is plentiful, and recently included beans, tomatoes, rhubarb, lettuce and other greens. A large variety of potted herbs, colorful zinnias, marigolds, and even roses bushes are available. This stall is one-stop shopping for the cook and the gardener.

Why not enhance your weekend dining with a bottle of BGR Wine? Manolo Gonzalez and his brother-in-law, Lorenzo Ruggiero, are bottling Tempranillo and Albarino wine.

Ruggiero’s family has a rich history of winemaking in Airola, Italy, and he has brought this knowledge and experience to Rising Sun. Bodegas Gonzalez Ruggiero Wine was established two years ago by the brothers-in-law.

Manolo’s grandparents came to the area in 1986 and established a thoroughbred breeding operation. Today the farm is the headquarters for BGR Wine.

“We currently do Continued on Page 80

Photo by S. Halford

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Manolo Gonzalez, with BGR Wine, is a new addition to the Farmers Market. www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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Farmers Market Continued from Page 79

not have a tasting room at the farm,” Manolo said, but BGR wine is available for tasting at area farmers markets and events such as the Cecil County wine festival.

Though Manolo and Lorenzo purchase their grapes from California, the wine is made and bottled on site in Rising Sun. Ultimately they plan to grow their own grapes and have planted a test plot with vines to determine the viability of planting a vineyard in Rising Sun. “Cecil County has a mixture of sandy loam, clay and volcanic soils,” Manolo said. “The concentrations of each can differ throughout a field, so we need to find grapes that will grow in this particular soil.” Their test plot is currently planted with Malbec and Albarino vines.

Lorenzo’s wife, Alietta, is also involved in the winemaking venture, and is studying oenology in Italy. This is BGR’s first season at the Perryville Farmers Market.

Rock Hollow Honey and Beeswax grew out of Suzette Jackson’s passion for beekeeping. She has been a beekeeper for 15 years in Port Deposit. With daughter Marion’s help, she bottles honey, and produces lip balms, hand creams, and beeswax candles.

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Photo by S. Halford

Stop by for some delicious Comfort Zone Cookies.

“Our honey is considered raw honey,” Suzette explained. “ It has been strained but not processed.” Mother and daughter have developed a following for their personal care items. “We make Ultra Rich Moisturizing hand lotion,” she said. The product includes shea butter and almond oil. They also make a heavier “Skin Saver” hand

cream with olive oil. Their lip balms come in plain beeswax, a tea tree medicated balm, and a peppermint oil version.

Bottled honey, honey sticks and sometimes even comb honey is available at their stall. Rock Hollow Honey has been a vendor since the start of the Perryville Farmers Market. Suzette said that the market allows her to “keep my finger on the pulse of the community,” and she enjoys seeing her regular customers.

This is the fourth year for the Perryville Farmers market.

“We are starting off with ten market vendors, and will probably increase to 16 as the season progresses,” explained Amanda Hickman.

The market allows for a personalized shopping experience. Vendors connect with their customers; shoppers learn where their food comes from and how it is produced.

It is all about shopping at a slower pace and creating a relationship between the producer and the consumer.

Kathy Fielder shared the same thoughts of many vendors when she said, “People in Perryville are so friendly, they always make time to have a conversation while they shop.”

Local farmers markets play an important role in the

Photo by Ed Fielder

A display of jams, salsas, hot sauces and jellies produced by FCD Foods.

community, and are flourishing as people become more particular about eating local and healthy. You can shop at the Perryville Farmers Market each Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. from May through October. It is located in the Lower Ferry Park at Broad Street and Roundhouse Drive in downtown Perryville, Md.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Spring/Summer 2016 | Cecil County Life

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——————|Cecil County Life|——————

Spreading the Cecil County love The Cecil County Chamber of Commerce has kicked off a countywide civic pride campaign.

At a press conference held at Cecil College’s Elkton Station campus earlier this year, Chamber Board President Joe DiNunzio said the board of directors unanimously agreed last year that a countywide community pride initiative was needed to foster a better self-image. After months of deliberations, he said the chamber agreed that the best approach was a “simple, concise message, that could be used on any platform, that recognized and

celebrated the many wonderful attributes of our community.”

Ultimately, the chamber settled on a logo very similar to the long-running “I Love New York” campaign that has promoted tourism in New York City and the state at large for nearly 40 years.

“This simple, but powerful, threeword message and graphic are intended to promote and celebrate all that Cecil has to offer,” he said. “The chamber humbly offers this as a start to what we hope will be the tipping point for Cecil County.”

I CECIL

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DiNunzio challenged local businesses and organizations to find ways to incorporate the “I Heart Cecil” slogan into their work.

He also encouraged others to build upon the campaign with their own versions of civic pride initiatives.

“We invite everyone to get involved in whatever way or message makes sense for them,” he said.

Chamber President and CEO Bonnie Grady said she believed the “I Heart Cecil” campaign would be made up of many local actions, whether they come from businesses, churches, schools, civic organizations, individuals or others. The chamber will also be forming a committee to help promote the campaign into the future, fostering its growth.

“We want to sync and find ways to celebrate this wonderful place that we call home,” she said. “Community pride transcends political, economic and geographic boundaries. Everyone deserves to feel good about where they live. Let’s make that happen.”

Cecil County Executive Tari Moore said that she had met with Grady to discuss how to get residents excited about their community. The new campaign hopes to accentuate the positives of Cecil County that may go unnoticed while discussing the negatives, she said.

Continued on Page 84

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Cecil Chamber Continued from Page 83

“Our leaders love this community and are committed to working together, and you don’t get that everywhere,” she said.

Moore said that the core of ideas of embracing a happy, healthy community to be proud of is deep-rooted in the county’s legislative goals. While she has discussed the campaign with some of her department heads, Moore said she expects to discuss further how the county can help promote the pride campaign.

“I see this as a catalyst for real change,” she said, adding that it aligns with decisions she has made in her tenure to set the county up for a positive future.

Present at the kickoff event Thursday was nearly every county politician and community leader, lending their support to the chamber’s campaign, which was also featured prominently at Cecil Night in Annapolis later in the evening.

Elkton Mayor Rob Alt, who helped foster a similar “We Are Elkton” civic pride initiative in the first two years of his administration, said he was excited about the potential of the countywide campaign. He said he also liked that

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Cecil County representatives could appear as a cohesive front with the slogan when talking with their colleagues statewide.

“We’ve got so many negatives going against us in life in general that when we can get behind showing the positives of our community, it’s a wonderful thing,” he said.

“I’m excited by this idea.”

Alt said he was already toying with DiNunzio’s challenge to adapt the “I Heart Cecil” slogan, possibly using “Elkton: We are the heart of Cecil” as a slogan in town, referencing its place as the county seat.

North East Mayor Robert McKnight said he thought the countywide campaign was a wonderful way to tie together numerous smaller civic pride efforts, including in his town.

“I’m really happy that we’ve found a way to pull us all together to move in one direction,” he said. “It’s been needed for a while.”

The public is encouraged to participate with the campaign by posting positive stories about the community on a communal Facebook page, found at www.facebook. com/Ilovececilmd.