Cecil County Life Fall/Winter 2015

Fall/Winter 2015

Cecil County Life Magazine

The best of the old ways at Rumbleway Farm –Page 18

Inside : • Port Deposit: Building for the future • New trail opens for Cecil County residents • Cecil College welcomes new president

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A Chester County Press Publication

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Table of Contents Cecil County Life • Fall/Winter 2015 6

The Ben Cardin Trail section of the C&D Canal Recreational Trail opens

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The old ways are the best ways at Rumbleway Farm

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Bolt leads Cecil College into the future

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Calendar of Events

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Fair Hill Nature Center receives gift of new kindergarten artwork

Upcoming documentary focuses on the history of the Conowingo Dam

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Future town along the Susquehanna

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Photo essay: Where in Cecil County

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Q & A with Annmarie Hamilton

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Historic Holly Hall is saved by Preservation Maryland

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Cover design: Tricia Hoadley Cover photo by Alessandra Nicole

Cecil County is on the right trail Letter from the Editor: A sign of Cecil County’s vibrancy came on a spectacular morning in early autumn when Chesapeake City residents, government officials, and trail users gathered at the north side public dock in Chesapeake City for the grand-opening celebration of the Maryland segment of the C&D Canal Recreational Trail. The trail, which is named in honor of U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin for his efforts in making the project possible, signals a new day for Chesapeake City.

Indeed, there are many wonderful things happening throughout Cecil County, and we had the opportunity to write about a few of them in this issue of Cecil County Life.

Writer Richard L. Gaw visits Port Deposit where, after years of lost industry, the closing of a naval base and several bad floods, a new spirit of energy, led by new business, residential development and future projects, is reviving this historic hamlet along the Susquehanna River.

We visit Rumbleway Farm, one of several area farms that are using time-tested techniques to raise

all-natural meats and farm products for area shoppers.

And we bring good news about the preservation of Holly Hall, a historic home in Elkton that has suffered from neglect for years, but will be stabilized and put to use after a preservation group takes the reins this month.

Cecil County Life was also there on July 30 when Cecil College named Dr. Mary Way Bolt as the fifth president in the school’s history. Bolt has deep Cecil County roots, and believes that Cecil College will play an important role in the economic development of the county.

We also have a story about Maryland Public Television’s work on a documentary film about the history of the Conowingo Dam. We are pleased to share these stories with you, and we always welcome your comments and suggestions for feature stories in the future.

Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steven Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 13

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————|Cecil County Recreation|————

Community celebrates the opening of a ‘recreational treasure’ Hikers, walkers, and bikers now enjoying the Ben Cardin Trail section of the C&D Canal Recreational Trail

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

A

t precisely 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, former Delaware governor Mike Castle, and Chesapeake City Mayor Dean Geracimos arrived at the north side public dock aboard the Miss Clare Ferry Boat. They were greeted by dozens of people—Chesapeake City residents, government officials, and trail users—to celebrate the opening of the Maryland segment of the C&D Canal Recreational Trail, and to honor Sen. Cardin for his efforts to make the trail a reality.

“Chesapeake City is now officially a trail town,” said Geracimos proudly.

“This is not just a great day, but an historic day.”

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

U.S. Sen. Cardin, Mayor Dean Geracimos, and former Del. governor Mike Castle all played an important part in the effort to construct a new trail that spans 17 miles from Delaware to Maryland.

The brand new 1.8-mile trail segment, which was officially dedicated as the Ben Cardin Trail on Oct. 5, connects to the Mike Castle Trail in Delaware, forming a 17-mile trail that stretches from Delaware City to Chesapeake City for runners, walkers, and bicyclists to enjoy. “Our residents are going to be able to enjoy the trail on a daily basis,�

Geracimos said, explaining that the trail will also attract more visitors to town and provide economic development opportunities for Chesapeake City.

Continued on Page 8

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Miss Clare carries U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, former Delaware governor Mike Castle, and Chesapeake City Mayor Dean Geracimos to the celebration. www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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Ben Cardin Trail...

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Cardin talked about the importance of the trails to communities in the area.

“Completion of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Trail has been one of my top priorities,” Cardin said. “The trail is a recreational treasure and the $2 million in federal funds ensures the completion of the trail, which will attract tourists who want to enjoy the experience of hiking and biking between Chesapeake City, Maryland and Delaware City, Delaware.”

Cardin credited Castle, the former governor and U.S. Congressman from Delaware, with leading the effort to create a trail linking the public lands in Delaware and Maryland.

The effort began way back in 2004, when Delaware residents supported the use of public lands bordering the waterway for a trail. Castle’s trail concept quickly became a bipartisan effort when Cardin, then a Maryland Congressman, also saw the potential for the trail.

Continued on Page 10

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

“Chesapeake City is now officially a trail town.”

~ Chesapeake City Mayor Dean Geracimos

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Gary Kirk and Jan King, members of the Wilmington Trail Club, said that the trail is very enjoyable. The club, which has 700 members, is involved in numerous activities throughout the year, including efforts to keep the trails maintained. More information is available at www.wilmingtontrailclub.org.

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Ben Cardin Trail...

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Public meetings took place throughout 2005 and 2006 in both Delaware and Maryland because the trail would be located in New Castle County, Del. and Cecil County, Md. The concept plan was completed in 2006, and the Army Corps of Engineers prepared the engineering design of the 17-mile trail in 2009.

In his remarks to the crowd, Castle noted that many different people worked to make the trail a reality.

“It was persistence over several years…that allowed this to take place,” Castle explained.

Chesapeake City submitted the funding application toward the end of 2011. Chesapeake City found out that it had received the $2 million in funding from the Public Land Highways Discretionary Program in 2012.

Geracimos, a local businessman, had just taken office as the mayor of Chesapeake City a few months before the funding was announced. Completion of the trail was one of the top goals when he entered office.

“We had a vision when we started a few years back,” Continued on Page 12

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and former Delaware governor Mike Castle head out on the trail after the ribboncutting ceremony took place, officially opening it to the community.

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Ben Cardin Trail...

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Geracimos said. “We wanted to improve the quality of life here.

We wanted to improve the town.�

One of the leading proponents for the trail project was council member Bert Wells, who initiated the idea of honoring Senator Cardin by naming the Chesapeake City trail segment after him.

It took a lot of collaboration to create the trail. The 14-mile C&D Canal waterway is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The canal is surrounded by more than 7,500 acres of public land, including natural environmental resources, state parks, heritage tourism sites, and Continued on Page 14

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

Mike Castle, the former governor and U.S. Congressman from Delaware, has been involved in the effort to make the trail a reality for over a decade. U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin helped the project proceed in Maryland. Segments of the trail are named after Castle and Cardin.

Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Timeless Tips to Prepare for the SAT or ACT With the College Board’s impending debut of a completely redesigned SAT, college-bound students and parents everywhere are concerned about how to prepare for college entrance exams. The best study tip for students is to know one’s own specific needs.

Effective exam prep is based on individual student needs. Huntington exam prep programs are built on the understanding that every student approaches exams differently and has different skills. A goal of ours is to get students familiar with an exam, but we also tell our students the skills they need to perform well on these exams are the same skills they need to succeed in college.

Test prep tips for students taking college entrance exams: Start with baseline information.

To understand what and how to study, students must know exactly where they have gaps in knowledge and skills. A diagnostic assessment is the best way to measure a student’s areas of strength and weakness. Any test prep study plan should be built around the areas that need the most attention.

Take several full-length practice exams.

Practice exams give students the chance to get familiar with the testing environment. A study program should incorporate at least two full-length tests so that students can see the impact that their studying has on their test scores.

Follow a detailed schedule.

Ideally, students should give themselves several months to prepare for college entrance exams. In addition, a detailed plan with daily and weekly milestones is the best way to ensure students stay on track and can raise their test scores.

Focus on school problem areas.

Get to know what types of questions are on the test. When your teen is struggling in school with a particular subject, it’s safe to assume he or she will struggle with similar content on the college entrance exam. A targeted tutoring program designed by Huntington can help students overcome problem areas and perform well on all exams—including the SAT and ACT. Devote time to test-taking strategies and stress management techniques.

Exams can induce fear and anxiety into even the most prepared student.

Students preparing for the SAT or ACT should dedicate sufficient time to some basic but essential strategies for success: pacing, careful reading, narrowing down answers and more. Students should become comfortable working quickly and efficiently through test questions and acquire a few basic methods for managing stress in high pressure test situations.

Parents who are concerned about their teen’s SAT or ACT scores or unsure about how to help their teen kick off a study plan are encouraged to call Huntington. Huntington has helped thousands of students raise their test scores by developing individualized, well-rounded test prep programs.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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Ben Cardin Trail...

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marinas. Some of the entities involved with the trail include the Army Corps of Engineers, Chesapeake City, the Maryland State Highway Administration, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and the Maryland Department of Planning.

The Army Corps of Engineers retains ownership of the trail land, but entered into the required lease agreement to allow the project to proceed. Tim Kelly served as the Army Corps of Engineers project manager for the trail, and the Army Corps of Engineers oversaw and managed the construction for the project. The Army Corps of Engineers also has a fiveyear maintenance agreement for the trail.

Continued on Page 16

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Joe Paulus, a singer and acoustic guitarist provided the music for the event.

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

from Elkton, Md.

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Ben Cardin Trail...

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These various collaborations have resulted in a trail that is perfect for cycling, running, jogging, walking, hiking, inline skating, or roller skating. The community will see the benefits of the trail for many years.

The trail is already earning positive reviews. Gary Kirk and Jan King, members of the Wilmington Trail Club, said that the trail is very enjoyable.

“It’s wonderful,” said Kirk, explaining that the Delaware segment of the trail is already attracting a lot of visitors.

“It’s a fairly easy trail,” King added. He explained that there’s no need for expensive equipment to have a good ride on the trail.

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Chesapeake City is now officially a trail town.

Courtesy photo

P E R R Y V I L L E Carla Miners, the director of economic development & tourism for Chesapeake City, said that the trail will be used heavily by local residents and by visitors.

One frequent user of the trail will be Cardin himself. He said that he and his grandchildren often look for trails to ride on the weekend.

According to Geracimos, the completion of the Ben Cardin segment of the C&D Canal Recreational Trail is only the first step of providing recreational opportunities for residents. The final designs for another trail that starts on the south side of Chesapeake City and runs along Route 213 to the middle school and high school and then to the Cecil County Public Library are underway. This future link to the trail will provide a bicycling and walking option for students, and will keep them off routes that are heavily traveled by motorists. If everything goes well, work on this trail will start in the spring of 2016, and will be completed by the end of the year.

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

Chesapeake City becomes a trail town The C&D Canal trail links the Delaware communities of Delaware City, St. Georges, Summit/ Middletown, as well as Delaware’s Lums Pond State Park to Chesapeake City in Maryland. Each community along the trail has its own unique history and heritage. The new trailhead in Chesapeake City provides an in-season (April through October) ferry service to the town’s south side with its nationally recognized Historic District, quaint shops, and well-known restaurants.

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—————|Around Cecil County|—————

The old ways are the best ways at Rumbleway Farm

By John Chambless Staff Writer

O

n a gleaming autumn morning at Rumbleway Farm, russet-colored chickens pecked for insects, turkeys strutted and gawked at visitors, barn cats darted in and out of the shadows, and a warm breeze gently stirred the grass. Things haven’t changed all that much at this 62-acre farm since it began in the 1700s, and current owner Robin Way wouldn’t have it any other way.

Photo by Alessandra Nicole

Robin Way has operated Rumbleway Farm since the 1990s.

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Photos by Alessandra Nicole

Matt, a helper at Rumbleway Farm, collects eggs from the mobile hen house at the farm.

The new way of farming – organically, without pesticides and growth hormones – is pretty much the old way of farming. Robin, who runs the farm with her husband, Mark, and a small group of helpers, said, “I want people to come here and see where their food is raised. This isn’t a petting zoo – it’s a working farm – but we don’t have anything to hide. I want to show people that you can raise really good, healthy food.”

During a tour of the farm, Way explained how she came to preside over beef cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens and turkeys from sun-up to sundown.

“My husband grew up two houses down, he went to Salisbury University and has a degree biology,” she said. “He always wanted a farm.

Continued on Page 20 Photos by Alessandra Nicole www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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Rumbleway Farm...

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He started working on a neighbor’s farm across the street when he was 12 or 13.

“I grew up in Philadelphia suburbs, went to Texas A&M and have a degree in marine biology. Never thought I’d farm. We met when we both worked for DuPont, doing pharmaceutical research. We moved here right after we got married.

“On my third date with my future husband, he said, ‘We’re going to my mom’s house.

They’re killing chickens this weekend,’” Way said, laughing.

“His mom and dad had chickens in the back yard, and his dad would take an ax and cut their heads off, and they’d be running around in the yard until they

Photo by Alessandra Nicole

The farm has cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits and turkeys, depending on the time of year.

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stopped. That was my introduction to chickens. City girl meet chicken, you know?”

The farm property can be traced through at least three families, beginning with the Nesbit family in the 1600s and 1700s. “I have a barn board that’s dated 1847 that says John Nesbit on it, which is really cool,” Way said.

“The barn is dated 1802, and the house was built in the early 1800s too.

“The Gibsons farmed here from the early 1900s. They were the last dairy farmers. The Rumbles bought the farm in the mid-1960s. The Rumbles loved this place,” Way said. “He was a stone mason. This was their vacation home. On the day of his retirement, he got killed in a car accident and never got to enjoy the fruits of his labor. His wife lived here and remarried. She never had children and passed away. All she wanted was for this to stay a farm. It kind of touched my heart. That man put so much into this farm. The Rumbleway name just sounds perfect – it’s them and us. ” Way said.

Mark’s income from a lab tech job with the Department of the Army pays the bills while the farm hopefully breaks even, Way said. “Unless you’ve got 1,000 acres, farmers Continued on Page 22

Photos by Alessandra Nicole

Rabbits and chickens are raised for food at the farm.

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Rumbleway Farm...

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break even. They live a great lifestyle, but they’re never going to be rich. Most farm families have at least one person who works off the farm. Mark brings in an income, he pays for our insurance. His job supports our family, and the farm supports itself.” Vacations are not really a consideration. “For him and I to get away, it’s three days at an agricultural conference. That’s our vacation,” Way said. “We can’t just leave everything. We’ve got animals to feed.”

The Ways have three children, ages 14 to 20. “I’m the full-time farm manager,” Robin said. “And chief cook and bottle washer.”

When the Ways purchased the property in 1992, it was rundown and in need of help. “When we first came here, we drove down the lane, and my husband kept talking about a house. But it was so overgrown around here that I kept saying, ‘What house are you talking about?’

I couldn’t even see the house. It was a big fixer-upper.”

The home has been lovingly restored with a metal roof that the Ways put in by themselves. It’s that kind of determination that has allowed them to expand the offerings at Rumbleway, beginning with custom meat from beef cows and pigs. In 1996, they heard about a Continued on Page 24

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Photo by Alessandra Nicole

A market at Rumbleway Farm offers farm-fresh meats and other products.

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Rumbleway Farm...

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new way of raising chickens that involved moving them in mobile coops around a property, so they had room to roam. Turkeys and rabbits were added shortly thereafter.

In 1998, they added a processing area that was expanded in 2000. In 2002, they added a commercial kitchen. “My husband was very forward thinking,” Way said. “I don’t think I would have thought of a kitchen, but he said, ‘If we’re going to do this, let’s put out the money, build the building and put in what we want.’”

Along those lines, the farm added cooking classes with guest chefs that they run in the winter, the farm’s slow season. “It’s a lot of fun,” Way said. “You don’t just stand there and watch the cooking – everybody participates.”

Visitors can book farm dinners as well, where everyone enjoys a meal served family-style that’s both hearty and healthy.

The farm has been certified organic by the USDA since 2000. “Organics was a weird phase when we started,” Way said. “Everybody was saying, ‘Oh, that’s for the hippies.’ Now it’s like, ‘Organic? Of course!’ But back then it was weird.”

Photo by Alessandra Nicole

The Ways have renovated the historic stone home at Rumbleway Farm.

Way said she and her husband are firmly against genetically modified foods and the use of pesticides, and they keep all their animals free of added hormones and vaccines.

“We are big time against pesticides, and big time against GMOs,” she said. “I’m an advocate of cooking food yourself. It takes five more minutes to make something than to throw something in your microwave.

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

I would say 98 percent of the time, I am cooking food from scratch.”

The farm’s animal feed is a custom blend that’s prepared for Rumbleway without hormones, herbicides or animal byproducts. Farm waste is composted and reused.

For the farm’s animals, the freedom to move about in the sunshine makes for healthier and happier lives. For customers, the purity of the farm’s products – chicken, eggs, turkey, pork, rabbit and lamb – makes a trip to Rumbleway a part of the family routine. Way said they have customers who have been visiting for decades.

There’s a small shop on the farm where visitors can buy meats, as well as some of the farm’s homemade jellies, applesauce, pickled beets and other small-batch products, and sauerkraut that is handmade and aged in the 1800s icehouse. “Whether it’s 105 degrees out here, or whether it’s two degrees out here, it’s a constant 40 degrees down there,” Way said, opening the door to the 14-foot-deep stone room. “When we first came here, there was a ladder down there for people to go up and down. What they would do in the winter was take ice from the pond, drag it to the icehouse and lower it in, packing it with sawdust to keep it cold. Then they’d store their stuff down there.”

Near the icehouse is a huge pile of cut wood that’s used for heating in the winter. There are two wells on the site – one for the house and one for the animals. There aren’t a lot of frills at Rumbleway.

There are adjoining farm properties, although the large property to the rear of Rumbleway was sold for housing years ago. It’s still possible to stand in the Rumbleway parking lot and see nothing but agricultural buildings and animals.

Continued on Page 26

Photo by Alessandra Nicole

The main barn dates to 1802.

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Up a small hill from the stone farmhouse is a field where turkeys darted in and around the feed being poured out for them. “Turkeys are fun. They are very interested in everybody else,” Way said. “Turkeys like to be under something, but not in something,” Way said, pointing to the open-sided shelters in the field. “They get in there at night, but otherwise they’ll run around all day, picking at bugs. If they get outside the fence, they spend the whole time trying to get back in. They’re so worried about where everybody else is. People think turkeys are dumb, but if there’s a hawk, they’re all immediately underneath the roof. They self-feed and will eat as much as they need.

They won’t overeat.”

When it’s time to prepare the turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, Way hires about 20 helpers and family

Photo by Alessandra Nicole

The farm market offers organic products of all kinds.

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

members – and everyone gets a free turkey, she said.

The long days and the hard work are shared with an intern and other help as needed. In October, it was Matt who was feeding the turkeys and chickens. “I put my back out, and I have to be really careful about how many five-gallon buckets of feed I’m carrying,” Way said. “It’s not that I can’t do it, but I shouldn’t.”

Strolling over to where about 60 hens were pecking at the long grass and hopping in and out of the mobile hen house, Way kept an eye on a rooster outside the fence who regarded intruders with a wary gaze. “He’s come at me before,” Way said, holding a branch to be used if necessary. “He’s a jerk. But he’s going to be a jerk in the freezer next week.”

While Way takes a pragmatic approach to raising animals to be processed as meat, she nevertheless cares about their welfare. Spotting a hen that’s sitting by itself in a corner of the yard, she tenderly picked it up, examining its eyes. “You OK, sweetheart?” she whispered to the bird as she cradled it and carried it to a watering station nearby.

From a monetary standpoint, taking care of each animal is critical. Pointing to the turkeys, Way said, “There’s potentially $30,000 looking at you in that field. We’ve had years when a dog got in there and killed 50 turkeys.

That’s an enormous amount of money. That’s the stuff that makes you want to cry. We had a very wet summer.

In June or July, we lost 80 chickens in one night during a storm. We’re at the mercy of the weather, we’re at the mercy of predators. We try to do the best we can.”

Since the neighbors know about Rumbleway, they often ask to drop off chickens or other animals to join the crowd. “Everybody thinks you want roosters, everybody thinks you want cats,” Way said. “Somebody just brought me some weird hens. And we have like five roosters right now.” The newcomer chickens usually fare well in the ideal surroundings, and are accepted by the current flock.

Keeping the farm as local as possible, Way said, “I’d rather keep the source local, rather than bring wheat and corn in from Kansas. I’d rather have corn from down the street. Why do we need to ship milk to Virginia and then bring milk back here from Virginia? It makes no sense to do some of the things that they do.”

The farm has competition from other area organic Continued on Page 28

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farms, Way said, “But I still think there’s enough customers for everybody. It’s like sharing a recipe. Nobody’s ever going to make it like you do. Our chicken is not going to taste like some other chicken down the road. Our feed, the grass from here – it’s all going to have its own flavor.

“This has been an evolution,” Way said of the farm.

“I don’t know that I would have said to you 20 years ago that this is where I’d be. But I love it.”

For more information, visit www.rumblewayfarm.com.

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

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Photo by Alessandra Nicole

A mural by local artist Bill Dunlap greets visitors as they drive up to Rumbleway Farm.

Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

Extra offerings at Rumbleway Farm “Dinner on the Farm” is offered from December through April. The four-course, family-style meals begin at 6 p.m., and seating is available for up to 25 people. The cost is $35 per person. The schedule is: Dec. 19 – Ham Palmiras and crab dip; vegetable soup; pork loin with curry, apple and coconut sauce; creamed spinach potatoes; hush puppies; lemon layered cheesecake.

Jan. 23 – Onion Bhajis; wedge salad; shrimp skewers; spaghetti with corn and crab; garlic confit toast; grape sorbet and lemon basil ice.

Feb. 20 – Spanikopita hand pies; romaine and cucumber salad; chicken coco van; congri; braised escarole with tomatoes; Smith Island cake.

March 19 – Fancy pizza; shrimp bisque; pork mole; sweet potato tots; green beans; chocolate caramel banana pie.

April 16 – Crab and shrimp stuffed squid; salad; lamb or chicken; ravioli with mushrooms; baklava

and white chocolate parfaits.

For reservations, call Robin Way at 410-658-9731 or email rumblewayfarm@hotmail.com. Specify the date and the number of people attending.

Winter Cooking Classes with guest chefs include dinner and a chance to talk with the chefs. The cost is $40. The classes are limited to 10 people and start at 1 p.m. Saturdays. The schedule is: Jan. 9 – Chef Ward Tatnall (Indian cuisine) Jan. 16 – John Shields (seafood) Jan. 30 – Chef Gary (TBA) Feb. 13 – TBA Feb. 27 – Chef Gary (TBA) March 12 – Chef Ward Tatnall (pasta) March 26 – Chef Eric Seeley (TBA) April 9 – Chef George Hensler (barbeque) For reservations, call Robin Way at 410-658-9731 or email rumblewayfarm@hotmail.com. Specify the date and the number of people attending.

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————|Cecil County Education|————

Bolt leads Cecil College into the future

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

D

uring the ten years that Dr. Mary Way Bolt served as vice president of academic programs, Cecil College expanded the degree programs it offers and increased the number of course offerings with a total of 89 new programs. She was part of an administrative team that added new continuing education opportunities in workforce development and STEM programming for students. The college introduced destination summer camps. Bolt also helped develop numerous partnerships with businesses and universities to support the economic development needs of the Cecil County region. So when Cecil College launched a search for a new president in March, Bolt was already positioned as one of the college’s most capable advocates. As a lifelong Cecil Continued on Page 32

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Courtesy photo

Dr. Mary Way Bolt is the fifth president in the college’s 47-year history.

Cecil College’s North East campus.

Photo by Steven Hoffman

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County resident, she knew the merits of the school, understood the needs of the region, and had plenty of ideas as to how Cecil College could meet those needs in the future.

On July 30, after an eight-person search committee completed a process that included 77 applicants from 27 states, the Cecil College Board of Trustees unanimously selected Bolt as the person to provide leadership as Cecil College continues to evolve. She is the fifth president in the college’s 47-year history.

“I am confident the board has chosen the most qualified candidate to serve as our new president,” said Sarah Colenda, the chairperson of the Cecil College Board of Trustees. “Dr. Mary Way Bolt has a complete understanding of the importance and impact our college has in our community. She is strongly committed to excellence, the success of our students, and Cecil College’s future growth.”

Donna Horgan, a member of the board of trustees, talked about how Bolt’s strong ties to the community made her a good candidate to lead Cecil College.

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“I thought a big plus was that she was born and raised in Cecil County,” explained Horgan. “We needed somebody to hit the ground running, and she knows this community.”

Raymond “Chick” Hamm, also a member of the board of trustees, said that Bolt has demonstrated a real passion for the mission of the college during her nearly 25 years serving the college in various roles.

At the time of her appointment as president, Way talked about being chosen to lead Cecil College.

“I am honored to serve as Cecil College’s fifth president and proud to lead an institution that is highly regarded throughout the region,” she said. “We are recognized for our commitment to students, our academic excellence, and our dedicated faculty and staff. As we move forward, Cecil College will extend our reach to make certain we play an integral role in economic development, service to the community, and the support of each student.”

Colenda said that in addition to academic leadership, Bolt will be working to strengthen partnerships in the community.

Continued on Page 34

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Bolt with several of the members of the Cecil College Board of Trustees on the evening that she was selected as the new president.

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“As president of Cecil College, Dr. Bolt will provide leadership and direction to the college’s staff and faculty,” Colenda said. “She will continue to work with the community and the county and state governments to ensure the college provides affordable and the highest quality education possible to the students.”

Bolt has deep Cecil County roots, and is very involved in the community. She serves on the Union Hospital’s board of directors as chair of the Board Quality Committee. She is a member of the Cecil County Economic Development Commission, the Local Management Board, the Upper Shore Regional Council’s Executive Board, the Army Alliance, the Northeast Maryland Technology Council, and the Susquehanna Workforce Network Board.

Bolt’s involvement with Cecil College dates back to when she earned an associate’s degree in

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nursing from Cecil College. She then completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She was subsequently awarded a master’s degree in community health nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and received a doctoral degree in higher education and leadership from Widener University. Her post-doctoral studies included the Harvard University Management Development Program. As a one-time student at the school, she knows how it can set people on the path to a career. According to Bolt, the story of Cecil College is best explained by talking to the students because they are the ones who see their lives changed by its academic programs. One of Bolt’s ongoing goals will be to keep the focus on students and their educational needs.

“We’re looking at apprenticeships and other new Continued on Page 36

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Cecil College will play an important role in the region’s economic future.

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programs that will help students as they enter the workforce,” Bolt explained.

Bolt added that she will support the efforts of Cecil College’s educators, whom she called the face of the college.

As Bolt began her tenure as president, optimism abounded. Wyatt Wallace, a member of the board of trustees, explained that Cecil County residents need economic opportunities, and Cecil College can play a vital role by providing them with the education they need to advance their careers.

“I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for Cecil College to continue its service to the community,” Wallace said.

In Bolt, Cecil College has a leader who is a longtime advocate for community colleges. She has served as the chair of Maryland Community College’s Chief Academic Officer Association and

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the Maryland Association of Community Colleges Legislative Committee. She was also the secretary for the Maryland Board of Nursing and on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Governance and Leadership Committee.

Bolt believes that Cecil College will play an important role in the economic development of Cecil County. To accomplish this, she will work with local business leaders and government officials to make sure that Cecil College is meeting the needs of the community. She said that she is fully committed to the mission of the community college.

“We want Cecil College to continue to be a big part of the future of the county,” Bolt said.

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

Continued on Page 38

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Cecil College’s presidents 1968 Robert L. Nash 1975 William J. O’Connor 1978 Robert L. Gell 2000 Stephen Pannill 2015 Mary Way Bolt

Cecil College timeline Here’s a look at some of the more important moments in Cecil College’s history: June 18, 1968: ..... The Cecil County Board of Commissioners signs a resolution endorsing the establishment of a college and agreeing to pay the county’s share of the operating costs starting with the 1968-1969 school year.

Aug. 1, 1968: .......Robert Nash becomes the first president of Cecil Community College.

Sept. 16, 1968: ....Cecil Community College offers its first classes at Elkton High School.

May 24, 1970: ..... Cecil Community College holds its first commencement. Eleven associate in arts degrees and 22 certificates of completion of a teacher aide program are awarded.

June 15, 1971: ..... Groundbreaking ceremony held for the Arts and Sciences Building, which was the first building on the North East campus. The college’s operations are moved from North East High School to the Arts and Sciences Building in North East.

June 2, 1975: .......William J. O’Connor becomes the second president of Cecil Community College.

1978: ...................Robert L. Gell becomes third president of Cecil Community College.

1979: ...................The Physical Education and Activities Building opens on the North East campus.

1991: ................... The Community Cultural Center, which houses the Milburn Stone Theatre and the Cecil County Veterans Memorial Library, opens on the North East campus.

April 17, 1999: ....The Technology Center on the Cecil College campus is dedicated.

July 1, 2000: ........Stephen Pannill becomes the fourth president of Cecil Community College.

Jan. 2005: ............Elkton Station opens and credit courses are offered at the location for the first time.

July 1, 2007: ........Cecil Community College officially changes its names to Cecil College.

Fall 2007: ............Cecil College surpasses 2,100 credit students for the first time in the college’s history.

August, 2008: ...... A groundbreaking ceremony is held for the Physical Education and Activities Building renovation and addition.

July 30, 2015: ......The Board of Trustees selects Dr. Mary Way Bolt as Cecil College’s fifth president.

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

Cecil College has been an important part of the region since 1968.

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————|Cecil County Life|————

Calendar of Events Chesapeake City Nov 27: Trinity United Methodist Church Annual Christmas Bazaar, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Great silent auction items, crafts, vendor tables, food, baked goods. Proceeds benefit youth ministires. Call 410-885-5641.

VFW Post 7687 300 Basil Ave. (410-885-5217) All events are open to the public Sat., Nov. 7, 7 to 11 p.m.: Music Night Fri., Nov. 8: All you can eat breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. (Second Sunday of each month through April) Monday Night Bingo: Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Games start at 6:30 p.m. Food available Wednesday Wing Night: 5 to 8 p.m.. Take-out available Friday 6 to 8 p.m.: Take out dinners available.

Shrimp dinners also available for $12 Dec. 12, 1 to 3 p.m.: Children’s Christmas Party. Refreshments and visit with Santa. Food will be collected for a local pantry. Call Leah at 443-556-2712 Chesapeake City’s WINTERFEST Nov. 21: Ice skating rink opens. The synthetic ice rink overlooks the canal. Skate rentals available, or bring your own. $7 per person, with or without skate rental.

Rink hours: Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 2 to 7 p.m., Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. Call for special rink hours on holidays (1-800-757-6030). Inquire about new Sunday skating lessons to be given by former Olympic figure skating competitor and coach, Priscilla Hill Wampler. Call 410-920-7018

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HOLIDAY PET PARADE Nov. 21: Pet Parade. Register under the bridge starting at 10:30 a.m. Special Santa visit for your pet! Parade begins at noon. Take you pet’s photo with Santa. Call 1-800-757-6030.

LION’S CLUB TREE LIGHTING Nov. 29: The celebration begins at 6 p.m. with a chorus of holiday music. Then children can welcome Santa when he rides into town with his sleigh-wagon harnessed to the Winbak Farms Clydesdales.

CAROLERS Dec. 5, 12, 19: Carolers wander around town from 3 p.m. Santa’s Workshop opens in Historic Franklin Hall from 3 to 6 p.m.

CARRIAGE RIDES Dec. 5 and 19: Carriage rides around the historic district with the Clydesdales from Delaware’s Winbak Farms from 2 to 4 p.m.

CANDLELIGHT HOUSE TOUR Dec. 12, 6 to 9 p.m.: Tour many of Chesapeake City’s Historic District homes decorated for the holidays.

There will be luminaries, carolers, carriage rides and hot mulled cider. Tickets are $12 advance ($15 at the door). Call 1-800-757-6030.

ALL SEASON Wander the streets of Chesapeake City and find the winners of the fourth annual House Decorating Contest as homeowners compete for local gift certificates. Homes are judged on Dec. 8. Look for Winner Signs.

NEW YEAR’S DAY 5K RACES Jan. 1, noon: Call 302-563-6360 for information.

Earlville Mount Harmon (410-275-8819) Sat., Nov. 7: Bull and Oyster Roast. Tickets include oysters on the half-shell, roasted oysters, a barbeque buffet, dessert, beer and wine, silent and live auctions, manor house tours and live music. 5 to 9 p.m. $60 per person.

Sun., Nov. 15: Mount Harmon Paper Chase. Walk, trot or canter on three to five miles of scenic trails along the Sassafras River from 9 a.m. to noon. $25 per rider.

Dec. 5 and 6: Yuletide Tour. The festival features holiday decorations inspired by Colonial Williamsburg, hearth cooking demonstrations, children’s holiday craft activities, and a holiday decorations and greens sale. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10 per person.

Elkton/ Fair Hill Fair Hill Inn (410-398-4187) Friday, Nov. 6: Beer Garden Grand Opening from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 7: “A Sip in the Fall” at the Ed Walls Activity Center at Fair Hill fairgrounds. Craft beer and wine tasting with food and live music. Benefits the Fair HIll Nature Center. Starts at 6 p.m.

First Friday of every month: Downtown Elkton open mics, art studios, gallery openings, food specials and sales. Visit www.elktonalliance.org.

Sinking Springs Herb Farm and Retreat (410-287-1078)

Sat., Nov. 21: Create your own tree light centerpiece.

Tickets $29.

Dec. 5: Natural Christmas Tree Ornament Making from 10 a.m. to noon. Bring your child and work together. Tickets $29 each.

Milburn Orchards 1495 Appleton Road, Elkton (410-398-1349) Nov 23 to 25: Pre-order your holilday pies!

Dec 12, 13, 19 and 20: Free photos with Santa.

North East Fri., Nov. 27: North East Christmas Tree Lighting Sat., Nov. 28-29: Merchants Open House Weekend with Santa House.

Nov 27-29, Dec 4-6 and 11-13: Milburn Stone Theater (1 Seahawk Drive) presents “West Side Story.” Call 410-287-1037.

Dec. 5: Cecil County Christmas Parade Port Deposit Nov. 14: Freedom Cup at Freedom Hill Therapeutic Ranch (55 Rolling Hills Lane), 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Dinner at 6 p.m. Enjoy video horse races, food and raffle items. Call 410-978-3817. Email fhtrp@ freedomhills.org.

Rising Sun Dove Valley Winery 645 Harrington Rd. (410-658-8388) Nov. 21: “Cheers to Murder” murder mystery dinner and show.

Dec. 19: “Dickens of a Murder” murder mystery dinner and show. www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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Fair Hill Nature Center receives gift of new kindergarten artwork

W

ith students back in school, The Fair Hill Nature Center (FHNC) is preparing for a year full of field trips and Outreach.

For over 25 years, the FHNC has played a role in the environmental education of Cecil County students. The program for kindergarten classes called “A Winter’s Tail,” is a play that offers the children an opportunity to put on a costume and become a forest creature preparing for winter. The students get to “play a role” in a play the Nature Center teachers bring into the classroom. Students get to act as forest creatures preparing for winter. The play uses costumes and a giant floor puzzle to bring the action to life.

With the help of the Elkton Kiwanis Club, Cecil County Arts and a local artist, the students will be able to enjoy the brand new giant puzzle. “The previous puzzle was just worn out after years of traveling to the county’s kindergartens,” said Holly Hannum of the FHNC. “We are so grateful to the Kiwanis Club for playing such a generous role in providing the puzzle.” The materials for the puzzle were provided by the Elkton Kiwanis which was creatively cut by volunteer John Wallach.

Wallach is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Elkton, where he serves on the Board of Directors and is current vice president. The Kiwanis Club is an international organization dedicated to helping children, one child at a time. Locally, it is heavily involved with a number of children’s programs.

“In addition to the puzzle, the Kiwanis club has been happy to build various kits for the Fair Hill Nature Center, which are used each 42

Courtesy photo

Clara and Isaac Strom (in the foreground) with Erlene Michener and John Wallach.

year in their summer programs,” Wallach said.

Artist Erlene Michener created the beautiful forest scene. Also known as “Miss E,” Erlene has spent 25 years at the nature center as a teacher-naturalist. With her first-hand knowledge and artistic talent, she knew exactly what the new puzzle needed.

“She created a playful forest landscape that students will enjoy for years to come,” said Hannum. Funding for the artistry was generously provided by the Cecil County Arts Council.

“We are so pleased with the help from the community partnerships,” said Hannum. “Providing programming for the kids is so important, and we are thrilled to have the help.”

The Nature Center is looking forward to showing off the new puzzle to classes starting this November.

Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

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—————|Cecil County History|—————

Upcoming documentary focuses on the history of the Conowingo Dam Producers are looking for people to share their stories about its construction in the 1920s

A photograph of the power lines in the 1920s.

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Courtesy photo

The Conowingo Bridge had to be demolished.

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

M

aryland Public Television is working on a documentary film about the history of the Conowingo Dam, and producers are searching for people who have stories or memories to share about the construction of the dam and its place in local history.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Producers of the documentary “Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna,� are looking for photographs, home movies, letters, or diaries that will help tell the story about the Conowingo Dam and the surrounding community.

Continued on Page 50 www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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Executive producer Mike English is looking for people to interview who may have worked on the dam through the years. He’s also looking for people who have photographs, home movies, letters, or diaries that will help tell the tale of the Conowingo Dam and the surrounding community.

Continued on Page 52

Courtesy photo

The rocks at the dam’s construction site.

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Courtesy photo

Construction of the Conowingo Dam was considered a marvel of engineering when it was constructed in the 1920s.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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The one-hour documentary, “Conowingo Dam: Power on the Susquehanna,” will premiere during the station’s Chesapeake Bay Week in April of 2016. The story will focus on the small town, the mighty river, and the dam that was second in size only to the large hydroelectric works at Niagara Falls, New York when it was opened in 1928.

“We have an annual initiative called Chesapeake Bay Week in April,” English explained. “It’s a way to celebrate the Chesapeake Bay. We do these documentaries on the some of the issues facing the Chesapeake Bay. We will use the story of the dam to tell some of the peripheral stories Continued on Page 54

Courtesy photo

An advertisement by the company Goodrich, touting its products and how they are used.

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of the area. Why was the dam built and what impact did it have on the area?�

The Conowingo Dam is situated about 9.9 miles from the river mouth at the Chesapeake Bay and about five miles south of the Pennsylvania border, on the border between Cecil and Harford counties.

According to English, there was some controversy surrounding the construction of the dam. There had been much debate, through the years, about damming the Susquehanna River. There was a group of Maryland residents that was opposed to the concept of harnessing the dam and sending the power to Philadelphia. But Albert Ritchie, an influential Democrat who served as Maryland’s governor from 1920 to 1935, was in favor of the dam

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project, and he was able to win support for it.

The dam supports a 9,000-acre reservoir, which now covers what was once the original town of Conowingo. During the construction of the dam, the town was moved to its present location about one mile northeast of the eastern end of the dam. The Conowingo Bridge, part of the original U.S. Route 1 crossing, would have been covered by the rising water so it was taken down in 1928.

English, who is an executive producer of history, natural history, and environmental programs for Maryland Public Television, used to live in Jarrettsville, Md. and would cross the dam all the time on his way to Lancaster, Pa. and other places.

“I have a lot of memories of that,” he explained.

Because he grew up in the area, English already had a good understanding of the importance of the dam, and the impact that it had on the region.

According to English, the Conowingo Dam was celebrated as a marvel of engineering when it was constructed. The dam was designed by Stone & Webster, the noted American engineering services company based in Massachusetts.

The company actually made a silent film titled “Conowingo” to showcase the massive hydroelectric project. English said that he would love to be able to find a copy of the film, but so far efforts have not been successful.

“We could never find it, which is frustrating,” he said.

English acknowledged that because much of the construction of the dam took place 90 years ago, the best that producers can hope for is information from the children or grandchildren of people who worked on the dam.

He said that everyone involved with the project is looking far and wide for any kind of source material to offer a well-rounded and thoroughly researched documentary.

“I’m on eBay all the time trying to find memorabilia,” English explained. “We’re looking for any leads that will take us to people who have stories to tell. The Conowingo Dam has had a big impact on the area, and we’re going to try to do the best show about it that we can.”

Anyone who has information to share about the Conowingo Dam is asked to contact producers at conowingo@mpt. org.

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

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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—|Cecil County Business & Development|—

Future town along the Susquehanna

Photo by Richard L. Gaw 56

Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

For years, the town of Port Deposit has sought to bounce back from lost industry, the closing of a naval base and the environmental impact of flooding. With new plans in place to stimulate economic growth, a spirit of optimism is reviving a town that many thought had vanished forever

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

T

here is a dramatic stairway of 75 steps in Port Deposit that begins on High Street and descends to Main Street, providing a beautiful vista of the Susquehanna River.

Originally known as the Tome Steps, the sailors who were stationed at the Bainbridge Naval Training Center called the structure “the Steps to Liberty,� which gave them a brief freedom from the regiment of their duties in order to enjoy the nightlife of this shoreside town.

If there is an official first steps of a tour through a town that has known a rich history, has survived the tumult of natural-made disasters and man-made decisions, and is on the very cusp of a future that rides on the backs of its biggest visionaries, it is here, at

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Condominiums and townhomes like Tomes Landing and Newport Landing have infused Port Deposit with an influx of new residents.

Continued on Page 58 www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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the top of these steps.

Yes, you know about the architectural splendor of past -- the hard bones of its Georgian, Federal, Victorian and Greek Revival design, that can still be seen at the Cecil National Bank, the Gerry House, the Winchester Hotel, the Falls Hotel and the Rappaport Building.

Yes, you know that Port Deposit was a well-functioning industrial town.

You know that the naval center closed in 1976, and that the historic Jacob Tome Institute Elementary School burned down in 1969, and when it was re-opened in 1972, it moved to North East.

You know that in 1984, the Wiley Manufacturing Company, which had employed hundreds of local workers, closed its operations, a move that financially devastated the town and left Port Deposit scrambling to reclaim its identity.

And yes, you know about the floods. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes swept through the town, and in 1996, flooding severely damaged Main Street, just like another flood did in 2011.

On your tour, however, you can not allow that past to cloud up what is happening here.

You need to know that the Bainbridge Development Corporation is in the process of converting the former naval base into a mixed-use development that will bring new residents and new business to the immediate area.

You need to know that both Newport Landing and Tomes Landing on the banks of the Susquehanna are pulling in a new demographic -- one that has not only moved to Port Deposit for the quaintness of a small town, but are lending their voices and ideas to the town’s redevelopment.

You need to know that these streets you walk on are filled on summer weekends -- from sun-tanned retirees with boats to college students grabbing camaraderie and a few cold ones with friends at Lee’s Landing Dock Bar, where it’s often an hour-long wait on summer evenings.

You need to know that Bob Steele’s Backfin Blues Bar & Grill is an equally tough ticket, and that reservations are often required well in advance, and just outside of town, Continued on Page 60

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Some of the many visual displays at Lee’s Landing Dock Bar.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Brenda Walker and Karen Maser enjoy the great food and ambiance of Lee’s Landing Dock Bar.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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the Union Hotel Restaurant & Tavern is a friendly step back in time for thousands of diners every year.

You need to know that every week, there are dreamers who walk up and down Main Street, who imagine owning a small business there.

You need to know that in 2017, the Maryland State Highway Administration will repave Main Street and place new sidewalks there, as part of a streetscape project intended to beautify the town.

On this tour that you take, you need to remove yourself the tragedies that have threatened to fold up Port Deposit like an accordion and understand that there are people here -- leaders of business and volunteer architects armed with vision -- who refuse to accept that all that’s left of Port Deposit is the crumbling remnants of an era that was once here, then vanished.

From nearly every direction she faces, town administrator Vicki Rinkerman can feel what she describes as “a buzz.”

Continued on Page 62

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Chef and Owner Bob Steele’s Backfin Blue Bar & Grill has earned its mark as one of the finest restaurants in the Chesapeake area.

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From a conference table at the Port Deposit Town Hall, Rinkerman points in every direction to the projects going on that will bring this town fully into the new century. She points to the success of the Newport Landing townhomes and the Tome Landing condominiums. She points behind her in the direction of the Bainbridge Development just east of Main Street, the 1,200-acre complex that is being planned, with a very large residential component.

“The reason I came to work here is because we are a town that is absolutely on the threshold of becoming

Photo by Kim Spencer

The Union Hotel Restaurant & Tavern has become a destination point for many who live in or visit Port Deposit.

one of the most happening places in all of Cecil County,” said Rinkerman, who began her position two years ago. “It’s not from my work, but from the work of people who have lived here all of their lives, and also people who have moved here recently. I’m fortunate that I get to

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Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

see these projects that have been started, all the way to completion.”

In the very room where Rinkerman confidently paints the future of Port Deposit, elected and appointed officials struggle to find the answer to a question that has plagued a thousand towns across the United States just like Port Deposit, once thriving hamlets that have seen big business go away and with it, opportunity, and are left trying to prevent the dusty facade of their history from falling down: Who Are We? As spelled out in the town’s comprehensive plan, they’ve come up with a possible answer: “The town of Port Deposit is an economically revitalized community that seeks to promote and enhance the inherent 19th-Century character of its Old Town, preserve its unique natural resources and association with its river front, and stimulate new development that strengthens the Town’s traditional core.”

“It was a working, industrial town, and our historic culture and background is still a huge draw, not only in terms of Main Street but the Bainbridge naval base,” Rinkerman said. “When that naval academy was here, there were upwards of 60,000 people a day up there, so Continued on Page 64

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you can imagine the impact it had down here.

There were grocery stores, drug stores. What we’re trying to do is preserve that historical base, while at the same time build an economic and environmental infrastructure around it.”

Rinkerman said that among the many projects that are currently underway or in the final planning stages are to build a comfort station in Marina Park, extend the length of the Susquehanna Heritage Greenway Trail that runs along the river, and convert the historic Tome Gas House to a visitor’s center on its lower level, and redevelop the building’s top floor to a research and education center that will be used through a partnership with Towson State University, to study the endangered Northern Map Turtle.

“Over the last six months, with the visitors center and research center being built, I have had a lot of people coming through these doors, asking how they can open a business in Port Deposit

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or buy and restore an historic home in town,” Rinkerman said.

“Our next step is to create service opportunities, in order to draw people to visit the little shops along Main Street and dine in one of our fine restaurants.

“We look to see ourselves eventually the way Chesapeake City Continued on Page 66

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Along Main Street in Port Deposit, business owners have joined with homeowners to create a beautiful streetscape design.

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has evolved, as a full-day destination.”

To Port Deposit Mayor Wayne Tome -- whose ancestry is generally considered to be the First Family of the town -- the prospect of the local economy will be dependent on what happens along the Susquehanna River.

“What drives the town is the waterfront amenity,” he said. “I always tell people the river is our greatest asset and our worst enemy, because it brings flooding, but it also beings recreation and opportunity. Come to Port Deposit on most days and walk up and down Marina Park and you will already see how effectively it’s all being redefined. We’ve turned from an industrial town to a water recreation town.”

The construction of 110 waterfront condominiums at Tome’s Landing and 16 townhomes at Newport Landing has been one of the key facelifts to the town’s previously underutilized waterfront, but it’s by no means the last of the development ideas. Rinkerman said that the town has partnered with the Heritage Corporation and

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Habitat for Humanity to revitalize historic homes, and that Port Deposit has applied for grants intended to pay for improvements to the streetscape design and aesthetics.

But it’s up the road apiece, elevated about 200 feet above Main Street, where the biggest plans for Port Deposit exist -- plans that are still on the drawing board of concept, design and approval in order to create one of the largest mix-use planned communities on the East Coast.

On the site of the former Bainbridge Naval Training Center, the 1,200 acres that make up the planned Bainbridge mixed-use center will provide 2.5 million square feet of commercial opportunities and a residential complex that will house a minimum of 1,250 homes.

“The Bainbridge community is our industrial and residential future,” Tome said. “We fully hope that it will be restored into a contiguous community. Its yet to be seen, but eventually, we see it as a combination of commercial, industry and residential.”

In 1972, when Tome was eight years old, Hurricane Agnes swept through Port Deposit. The family scrambled

to get back to normal, but it was nearly impossible.

He remembers his father pumping out the basement in order to keep the water away from the home furnace.

He remembers that the town had turned into a quagmire of mud -- two and three feet at it biggest height.

It’s a scenario that has plagued Port Deposit for several generations, and it’s finally being addressed in order to prevent it from happening again. Next spring, Port Deposit will undergo a major stormwater drainage project, to be coordinated by the Maryland State Highway Administration, that will redevelop the town’s entire drainage system. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers has developed a flood hazard mitigation study for the town.

“With the stormwater drain project about to come through and being able to close off those flooding underpasses, the town has attacked the flooding, in order to hugely decrease the impact of flooding, if not eliminate it, altogether,” Rinkerman said. “This will be huge for this town.”

“Port Deposit will never be the way it was, but it’s being recreated in a way that honors its past and creates a new way of presenting itself,” Tome said. “You won’t see ships being built on the waterfront, but you will see people enjoying the restaurants and shops, and the riverfront and the parks. A lot of things are happening that will enable us to secure our future.”

When asked to point in the direction of the Port Deposit’s spirit and heart, Rinkerman did not hesitate to offer her answer.

“It’s our people who will save this town,” she said.

“Government will not do it. It has to come from the community, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve lived here your whole life or if you’ve just moved here.

“This is a sleepy little hollow and then you peel away a layer and it’s like ‘Wow!’ We are slowly becoming one of the most happening towns in all of Cecil County.

The sun is shining on little Port Deposit.”

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

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————|Cecil County Life|————

Where in Cecil County?

Thi iis a ttest.

This t It iis a test of how well you know Cecil County.

Do you know where these images were taken? Hint: Think Route 273 and the northwestern corner of the county.

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Get all 17 right and you are a Cecil County Genius. Get 14-16 correct and you are a Cecil County Fanatic.

Get 10-13 correct and you are a Cecil County Expert. Get six to 9 correct and you are a Cecil County Novice.

Get anything less than six correct and you should get out and experience Cecil County more!

Photos by Carla Lucas

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Photos by Carla Lucas

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Photos by Carla Lucas

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2 6 1. The Beehive, along Route 273, is a historic landmark.

2. The clock tower stands in front of Rising Sun Town Hall.

3. This architectural detail was from the top of the Howard Bank in Rising Sun.

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4. The West Nottingham Presbyterian Church off Jacob Tome Highway (Route 276).

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5. The entrance to West Nottingham Academy.

6. The fire tower at Fire Tower Road, along Jacob Tome Highway (Route 276).

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7. Water Witch Fire Station No. 7 in Port Deposit.

8. These bridges can be seen from the river walk in Port Deposit.

Cecil County Life | Fall/Winter 2015 | www.cecilcountylife.com

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9. The historic Gerry House in Port Deposit.

10. A private house along South Main Street in Port Deposit.

11. USNTC Bainbridge Historical Association shares the history of the facility at the museum in Port Deposit.

12. The mural at the Port Deposit post office greets visitors to town.

13. This area of granite work and steps was built into the bluff in a Port Deposit. It is next to Port Deposit’s Town Hall.

14. The cute little bunny garden is in the corner of a private home on North Main Street in Port Deposit.

15. The Union Hotel and Tavern was built circa 1790. It continues to serve guests to this day.

16. The power lines are part of the electricity generation system at the Conowingo Dam. 17. Water pours down the sluices at the Conowingo Dam.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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————|Cecil County Q&A|————

Q&A Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Annmarie Hamilton, right, the executive director for the Cecil County Arts Council, stands with Danielle Dunn-Tribble of the Council, alongside one of the newest art installations at the Council’s offices in Elkton.

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Annmarie Hamilton

Executive Director of the Cecil County Arts Council On East Main Street in Elkton, it is almost impossible not to notice the Cecil County Arts Council building now. Just recently, Executive Director Annmarie Hamilton had a multicolored sculpture of an elk installed on the front yard of the property.

The installation is just one part of the incredible – and expanding – presence the Council continues to make throughout Cecil County, from gallery shows to art classes to open studio tours and opportunities for children. Recently, Cecil County Life sat down with Annmarie to hear about the continuing goals of the Council, during which she also spoke about her favorite artists, and who she would like to have seated at her dinner party table.

Cecil County Life: As we gear up for the winter season, what can the readers of Cecil County Life expect to see coming out of the offices of the Cecil County Arts Council over the next few months?

Hamilton: Our next and most important event will be our annual silent auction and gala on Nov. 13 at Schaefer’s Canal House in Chesapeake City.

That is a giant event for us. We sold out last year, and we had bids on more than 70 auction bundles.

It was the first time we didn’t bring anything back.

In December, for the first time ever, we’re having an opening. The theme is “Simply Styers” and features a husband-and-wife team of artists.

In conjunction with our Holiday Art Mart, we let artists bring whatever they hope to sell during the holidays. From January through April, for the fifth consecutive year, we will host Wine and Dine for the Arts events with restaurants in the area. Menus are made just for us at fixed price and we sell anywhere between 15 and 50 seats.

Cecil County Life: There is a strong connectivity in Cecil County between its art patrons and the artists themselves. There is very little separation between the two, and the Cecil County Arts Council is in large part, the facilitator in what has become the fabric of Cecil County life. How do the arts contribute to the bottom line of Cecil County, and how does this figure in the overall development plan for the Council?

Hamilton: Our goal is to reach everybody within the county, and even those in the surrounding counties outside of Cecil. The contribution that the arts make to tourism and tax revenue and even to jobs is always very high on our list of goals. We were lucky that we were funded again by the county, given that the State had cut arts funding for fiscal year 2015. The new governor reinstated funding to the arts through an increase to the Maryland State Arts Council, who then spread it to county arts councils. We actually have a bigger budget than last year.

A perfect demonstration of how this funding continues to help artists was in the story of a gallery opening the Council had created for a 97-year-old watercolor artist. It was the first art show of her life. She painted a lot of works of barns and landscapes, and on the day of the gallery opening, she sold about 100 prints of her work. The truth was that in many ways, she was living for that opening, because on the evening of her opening, she was in the hospital. Through a Skype connection from the Council to the hospital, she could see all of the people attending her opening. Within a matter of days, she passed away. She continued to sell her prints throughout the next month, and we shipped them all over the country.

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Cecil County Life: An artist can create any type of genre, but they can’t exist in a box. They have to make a connection to the public. How does the Council help these artists? In other words, if a sculptor in Cecil County reads this interview, what advice would you give him or her?

Hamilton: First, I would recommend that the artists go to the Maryland State Arts Council’s website to enter a sample of their work and include their contact information. Second, I would encourage the artist to enter every single show that the Cecil County Arts Council has throughout the year. When they become brave enough to apply for their own show, the Cecil County Arts Council will handle all of the marketing for the artist, which includes sending postcards to all of our current members, as well as to every school and library and local newspaper. I believe that nearly every artist who has ever had a gallery show, has either sold an original, received commission work or been hired to teach – and that includes some of our younger artists.

Cecil County Life: Are you an artist yourself?

Hamilton: I am very creative by nature, and although my background is in business, I come from a family of artists, every single one of whom is self-taught. My mother picked up acrylic painting at some point, and encouraged me to try it myself. Finally, about 18 years ago, I picked up an old milk can and painted a winter scene on one side and a summer scene on the other.

She and I would travel around Cecil County, selling our painted furniture projects. My biggest claim to fame was that I sold one of them on E-bay to a stranger!

Cecil County Life: So you come at this position not only from the standpoint of your business background, but from the standpoint of knowing what it feels like to be an artist.

Hamilton: I hand hold, because I remember what it is like to feel vulnerable. I had a group of high school art teachers, who would randomly enter pieces into our exhibits. I told them, ‘Apply for your own show. Get all of the scaredy-cats together, and apply for your own show.’ They did just that and each one of them sold several pieces. They went from being cheerleaders for their students to being successful, confident exhibitors.

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Cecil County Life: What continues to be the key goals for the Cecil County Arts Council?

Hamilton: Soon after I moved to Maryland, I was the 100th member of the Council, and we are now around one thousand members. I have been in my position for one year, (7 years total) and my plan has been to make the Cecil County Arts Council shine a little more than it once did, and to get every single person I could to walk through the doors. It astounds me how many people have grown up in Elkton, and now live and work here, and tell us that they were not aware that we were here.

We coordinate with local schools to get children to visit the Council, we work with Senior Services to welcome adults and we partner with Upper Bay Counseling & Support Services to welcome their mental health patients to the gallery. We continue to upgrade the gallery by making improvements including new rugs and freshly painted walls. We contributed to installing a community garden out back, created a garden in front, and placed sculptures in our front yard. People are starting to see the changes here.

We are always looking to expand our membership, as well as being able to partner with for-profits and nonprofits in order to get our reach even farther. Recently,

we partnered with Dove Valley Winery, for a weekend event that drew over 1,000 people.

Cecil County Life: You talked about bringing schoolchildren here to the Cecil County Arts Council. Isn’t that the future of art, not only from the standpoint of giving them the venue to express their own creativity, but to allow them to come to a place to appreciate creativity?

Hamilton: Yes, and they’re learning that they can also become a member of the Cecil County Arts Council, they can bring pieces into our gift shop and enter their works into our exhibits. There are tremendous opportunities here for our kids. We also partner with the Judy Center to take art camps to children living in underserved neighborhoods.

Cecil County Life: The Cecil County Arts Council is located in Elkton, but how does the Council spread its influence throughout the other towns in the county?

Hamilton: We promote and represent all things art. We offer a self-driven open studio tour, with maps and directions that takes visitors to artists throughout the county.

We work with communities all over the county, whatever Continued on Page 78

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they ask for we try to make it happen. Whether they ask for advice, for a specific class or workshop, for advertising or a mention in newspaper, we don’t ever say, ‘No.’ The Cecil County Arts Council goes everywhere. You can’t name a town in Cecil County where we haven’t been!

Cecil County Life: Who are your favorite artists?

Hamilton: Believe it or not, some of my favorite artists are involved in the Cecil County Arts Council. Seven years ago, a woman in her seventies walked through the door of the Council, and her soul was broken. She had just lost her sister, and she was a primary caregiver for her. We struck up a conversation, and it turned out that she was a self-taught artist, and she told me all about these funny rules she has for her art. She began coming here and painting, and has entered every show and won prizes for her work. Just yesterday, she was in here at the same time we entertained a group of schoolchildren.

Their teacher came to me and said that the faces of the children around the artist looked as if they were looking at a rock star. She was giving the children tips and pointers.

I’ve admired every single artist we’ve ever heard in the world, but it’s the gang here that I admire most.

Cecil County Life: What’s your favorite place in Cecil County?

Hamilton: Do you want to guess? It’s here at the Cecil County Arts Council. I’m a freak for this place. Before I leave, this will be the tiny arts council that could.

Cecil County Life: You are the host of a dinner party.

You can invite anyone, living or not. Who would you like to see gathered around that table?

Hamilton: Johnny Depp, because he is candy for the mind and the eye. I find his acting so incredibly diverse.

I’d also like to invite a chef, because I love to cook and watch cooking shows. I’d also like to invite Leonardo DaVinci. That guy was a genius at everything. I was recently reading that he invented the first concept for what would eventually become the helicopter. Art was a sideline for him. I’d also invite Jacqueline KennedyOnassis, for her classic style. I’d also invite Audrey Hepburn, because she, too, had such a classic elegance.

I think they would both be such a compliment at the 78

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dinner for DaVinci and Depp. I’d also invite my mother, because she is all of these things.

Cecil County Life: What kind of food would we always find in Annmarie Hamilton’s refrigerator?

Hamilton: I am horrified at the amount of cheese I have in my refrigerator. Right now, there are between 12 and 14 different kinds of cheese in there. There is also the last harvest of vegetables from my garden, as well as all different types of condiments, but cheese is everywhere.

I may need a 12-step program for cheese.

-Richard L. Gaw

The Cecil County Arts Council is located on 135 East Main Street, Elkton, Md. 21921. To learn more about the Cecil County Arts Council, and to become a member, call 410-392-5740, or visit www.cecilcountyartscouncil.org.

Benefit for Freedom Hills slated Nov. 14 The Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program hosts The Freedom Cup event on Nov. 14.

The evening program will be held at the Port Deposit VFW and will feature horse race betting, raffles, a silent auction and dinner. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6 p.m., and the ticket windows open at 6:30 p.m.

Post time is 7 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit the riding program.

Tickets are $25 per person ($40 per couple).

The VFW is at 520 Susquehanna River Rd., Port Deposit. For tickets or more information, visit www.freedomhills.org, or call 410-378-3817.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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————|Cecil County History|————

Historic Holly Hall is saved

by Preservation Maryland Group will get funding and crews to the site of a building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places

Photo by John Chambless

Holly Hall is an early 1800s home that has been vacant for years, hemmed in by the Big Elk Mall in Elkton.

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By John Chambless Staff Writer

H

emmed in by the Big Elk Mall and boarded up against the vandals and the elements, Holly Hall in Elkton has been saved from inevitable decay

by Preservation Maryland, which formally pledged in October to refurbish the historic home.

Elkton Mayor Robert Alt had applied to Preservation Maryland as part of the group’s “Six to Fix” program that is preserving threatened places across Maryland, including Holly Hall.

Preservation Maryland has worked since 1931 to keep Maryland’s history from slipping away, and the grand, abandoned home near Route 40 is an ideal project. There will soon be funds Continued on Page 82

Photo by John Chambless

A hand-forged iron hook that once held a shutter open.

Photo by John Chambless

Preservation Maryland announced in October that Holly Hall is one of ‘Six to Fix’ sites they will be saving.

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flowing and workers actually doing something to preserve Holly Hall, which has a long and storied past.

The Federal-style mansion was built in 1810 and got its name from the elegant holly trees and boxwood shrubs which were carefully maintained around the large grounds. There are still straggling holly trees on the site.

It was originally home to Gen. James A. Sewall, a veteran of the War of 1812, who played a large role in planning the streets and defining the shape of Elkton. He was the clerk of the Circuit Court in Cecil County for 24 years. He played a role in building what would become Route 40, and helped get a rail line built between Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Holly Hall was out in the countryside at the time, and Sewall welcomed visiting officials and dignitaries there until his death in 1842.

Holly Hall had a long line of owners and periods Continued on Page 84

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Photo by John Chambless

A marker (right) points out the history of Holly Hall. Below, an iron strap was discarded on the front steps of the building.

Photos by John Chambless

Above: A granite pillar at the entrance to Holly Hall has been tilted by the growth of the tree next to it.

Right: The door to Holly Hall has multiple padlocks and other locks to keep intruders away.

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of neglect since then, and its status as one of Elkton’s oldest surviving structures – and perhaps a bit of family discord along the way – has sparked several spooky tales about the place. One documented story was told

by Mrs. Ralph Gray Davis to a Salisbury University folklore student in 1974, and it involves Sewall and his son, who had a falling out that led to the father banning the son from ever entering the home, alive or dead. Sewall’s daughter supposedly kept a portrait of the son hidden in an upstairs room because Sewall had destroyed all images of the son. After being wounded in battle and feared near death, the son was brought back to Holly Hall by the distraught daughter.

“Oh, father he’s dying!” implored the distressed sister.

“Let him die on the road, for I swore he should never gain entry into my house – living or dead,” was the only reply she received.

Knowing that it was useless to parlay with her father, the girl had her brother put back in the carriage and

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started back towards the house. He died the next morning with a curse upon his lips against the house which had refused him asylum.

Understandably, with a setup like that, everything at Holly Hall was subsequently reputed to be haunted by the sad ghost of the departed son. Generations of subsequent owners were reported to have spotted his ghostly visage, stalking around the house and grounds.

The burial vault built by Sewall near the property was reputedly the site of some wandering coffins, premature burials or sinister cries from within – all of which lends today’s Holly Hall an air of mystery.

Holly Hall has been a residence and a farm, and in 1921, it was the home of the Catholic Order of the Society of the Divine Savior. Later, it passed to several nonprofits including the United Way of Cecil County.

It is now owned by Big Elk Mall, LLC, which has let the building stand unused.

The site still has an air of grandeur and history, including once being the site of a white oak tree that

was rumored to be more than 400 years old. It collapsed in 2009. Holly Hall itself has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

The practical concerns of keeping Holly Hall upright – and using it for some purpose – have now fallen to Preservation Maryland, which has a long history of actually doing something to preserve buildings, not just talking about it. They are experts at securing seed funding, lining up architects, engineers and legal help, organizing building assistance and publicizing the program to secure more investment.

For future generations in Elkton, that’s very good news. Perhaps even the ghost of Gen. Sewall’s son will stop his wandering once his former home is restored to its former glory.

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

Photo by John Chambless

Trees have grown large around the building (right). Even some of the 1800s holly trees remain in place along the drive out front.

www.cecilcountylife.com | Fall/Winter 2015 | Cecil County Life

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