Towne Spotlight Local

Sultana to Sail in 20th Anniversary Season

After being laid up for 19 months because of the pandemic, the Sultana Education Foundation’s flagship schooner Sultana is preparing for a triumphant return to the Chesapeake Bay for her 20th anniversary season. “Operating a school-ship like Sultana was simply impossible in 2020,” said SEF President Drew McMullen, “but with the Covid situation improving, vaccines available for our crew, and schools reaching out to sail this fall, the time has come to get Sultana back out on the water.” Getting the 1768 reproduction Sultana sailing again will take the better part of this coming summer. Newly appointed Captain Forrest Richards will oversee the process of rigging Sultana. A long-time resident of Chestertown, Richards is no stranger to the Sultana Education Foundation, where he previously worked as both crew and Mate on the ship, as well as a member of the 12-person expedition that reenacted Captain John Smith’s 121-day, 2,100-mile 1608 Chesapeake expedition in 2007.

Hyatt & Weber Expands to Eastern Shore & Welcomes New Partner 

Hyatt & Weber, P.A., a law firm headquartered in Annapolis, is expanding its footprint to Maryland’s Eastern Shore with the addition of seasoned land use and real estate partner Mark F. Gabler. Gabler will head the firm’s Easton office at 10 West Dover Street. Gabler brings 25 years of extensive litigation and appellate experience in various legal disciplines. “We are delighted to welcome Mark to Hyatt & Weber,” said firm founder and managing partner Alan J. Hyatt. “His talent and deep experience not only complement our established reputation as a leader in real estate-related law, but will also provide us with significant opportunities for growth on the Eastern Shore.”

JEWELER HONORS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Silver Linings, a sterling silver and gemstone jeweler in St. Michaels celebrated its 11th anniversary of giving female graduates of Talbot County high schools a strand of freshwater pearls. Through its signature “Pearls of Promise” program, Silver Linings has gifted over 2,000 strands of pearls to Talbot County young women. Aida Leisure, owner of Silver Linings and DBS Fine Jewelers, developed the initiative in 2011 as a way to give back to the community when she noticed an emerging trend in graduation gifts. Traditional gifts of lasting keepsakes were being replaced by tech gadgets and impersonal objects that can quickly become obsolete. Leisure chose pearls, often a young woman’s first piece of fine jewelry. Further, pearls are symbolic for Talbot County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, an area famous for the Eastern oyster. “These young women will now own and wear a classic piece of jewelry that is considered worldwide to be timeless, elegant, and beautiful,” Leisure says.

 TIDEWATER ROTARY’S SUPPLIES FOR SERVICE DRIVE A SUCCESS

In April, Tidewater Rotary announced it was collecting household supplies for the Neighborhood Service Center as part of the club’s 10-year anniversary. The drive to support Talbot County’s underserved residents was called Supplies for Service, an homage to Rotary International’s motto of Service Above Self. Businesses, organizations, and Talbot residents were invited to join the drive and the response was astounding. The effort netted household supplies to fill nearly 100 boxes and over $3,000 in monetary donations. Donated supplies included paper towels, toilet paper, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and many other household essentials. “We have always known this community is incredibly generous and this supplies drive once again proved it,” Tidewater Rotary President Lee Newcomb said. “We are so thankful for all the support.”

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