Need medical care in a hurry? Get better with the help of AFC Urgent Care, the new name of AFC Doctors Express.
AFC Urgent Care is a well-established, full-service urgent care center that provides walk-in medical care for all non-emergency illnesses and injuries.
Dr. Fadirepo at AFC UrgentCare.
Open every day with extended hours for convenient, quality care, AFC emphasizes customer service and care. Every patient sees a fully qualified physician. Digital X-ray and lab services are available on-site, making AFC a one-stop shop for your urgent care needs. After treatment, we follow up every visit with calls to ensure treatment was successful and you are satisfied.
AFC is your wellness stop, too, offering annual flu vaccinations, school and sports physicals and a comprehensive Occupational Health Program for area businesses.
AFC Urgent Care is part of a national franchise system with centers across the country. Rick and Ginni Morani, Edgewater franchisee owners, opened their center in January 2012 to provide high quality, quick and efficient medical care to Edgewater and its surrounding communities. The Moranis love helping people. By providing the best patient experience possible, they are here to meet the community’s need for urgent care.
AFC Urgent Care: 3059 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater; 410-956-3394; www.AFCUrgentCareEdgewater.com
Dr. Fadirepo at AFC UrgentCare.
Dr. Fadirepo at AFC UrgentCare.
Aggro Joe’s Skate Shop
Your one-stop skate shop
At Aggro Joe’s, we’re as committed to skateboarding as you are.
Joe Smialek — a lifetime skater and owner of Aggro Joe’s Skate Shop — is committed to promoting skateboarding and skateboarders of all levels. Aggro Joe’s pays special attention to you, whether you’re new to the sport, returning after years away or building mastery.
You’ll find complete decks in different brands for skateboarding and longboarding. If you have the need, you can custom-build your dream set-up and/or ride one of Aggro Joe’s own custom decks. We have something for everyone.
For building your own deck, you’ll find boards of all styles plus the materials and tools you need to build it right in the shop. Joe is there to help guide you step by step through the process of building your own deck or fixing up the antique board from the back of your garage.
You’ll also find the cool clothes you need to look the part, with three rooms with racks of brand-name apparel and shelves of shoes with brands like Vans and Nike. If you’re too attached to your broken-in pair of skate sneakers, Aggro Joe’s offers shoe repair products that can make the old pair like new.
You’ll also find backpacks and stickers that will help you stand out at the skate park.
Aggro Joe’s is about support as well as sales. We teach skills and offer lessons of all levels as well as custom-built ramps. Joe is always around and ready to answer questions.
There’s no hustle here, just a fellow skater looking to fill a void in the community.
See for yourself on www.aggrojoesskateshop.com or Facebook, and check out our skate videos as well as our online store.
Aggro Joe’s Skate Shop, Joe Smialek, Owner: 475 Main St., Prince Frederick; 410-257-1420; www.aggrojoesskateshop.com
American Bus and Sprinter Vans
Customer- and environment-friendly transportation
Dating back to the 1950s, American Sprinter Vans is a full-service dealership for Daimler Freightliner Sprinter Vans, commercial buses and Thomas School Buses.
The Daimler Freightliner manufacturer ranks American Sprinter Vans as a Platinum Level Dealership, the top rating reserved for dealerships that satisfy customers in every respect.
Customer interests are American Sprinter employees’ first concern, reflecting the values of an employee-oriented business that provides exceptional benefits, including full medical and retirement contributions. When employees are well cared for in a positive work environment, they can focus on customers.
CEO and owner Steve Leonard understands the needs of everyone involved in his business, from customer to dealers. In his student years at the University of Maryland, Leonard began his transportation career as a shuttle bus driver, rising to general manager of the Shuttle-UM. He expanded his experience as a sales executive before purchasing American Sprinter in 1994. The company has grown by continuing to put quality before quantity. American Sprinter has twice been named International Dealer of the Year.
Located in a premiere facility on Defense Highway three-quarters of a mile from the Annapolis Mall, American Sprinter Vans is committed to sustainable business practices. The rooftops of the office and shop are covered with solar panels, and extensive recycling efforts are in place. Many energy efficient modifications have been made to the facility, keeping American Sprinter as eco-friendly as it is customer-friendly.
American Bus and Sprinter Vans: 195 Defense Hwy., Annapolis; 410-224-8224; www.american-bus.com; www.americansprinter.com
Annapolis Acupuncture and Integrative Healing
Guiding you to wellness
From the dawn of humankind, people have sought to cure ailments and solve the mysteries of the body. Modern medical advancements allow many such miracles to become reality through pharmaceutical drugs and surgery. Holistic healing uses less invasive means to complement healing and promote wellness.
Kim Weir, owner of Annapolis Acupuncture and Integrative Healing, is trained in both holistic healing and Western medicine. As a medical researcher for a decade, she believed that natural healing was “ridiculous” as it was not scientifically proven.
Meanwhile, she had taken up horse showing. When horses at the farm would go lame, the horse manager would call an acupuncturist instead of a vet. Weir witnessed previously lame horses run off pain-free after acupuncture. This spark ignited her career in holistic healing.
Now, Weir is proud to own Annapolis Acupuncture and Integrative Healing, a relaxing space where loving and gentle practitioners help you find your best path toward healing.
Healing techniques include acupuncture, Chinese herbs, therapeutic massage, health and wellness coaching, natural nutrition counseling and zero balance energetic modality. Annapolis Acupuncture and Integrative Healing is a compass directing you toward your better life.
Your one-stop shop for everything Annapolis, Maryland and USNA
Celebrating its 15th year on Main Street, Annapolis Essentials is proud to be your one-stop shop for everything Annapolis, Maryland and U.S. Naval Academy. From apparel to gifts to souvenirs, your Annapolis gear needs are covered.
“Our selection is by far the best in downtown Annapolis with the best prices in town,” says owner Jason Hansbrough.
“We look forward to seeing repeat customers throughout the year or on once-a-year visits,” Hansbrough says.
But if you don’t have time to drive downtown to Main Street — or if you can’t live without what you didn’t buy — check out AnnapolisGear.com for all your Maryland and Navy pride gear.
Annapolis Essentials: 153 Main St., Annapolis; 410-267-1383; www.annapolisgear.com
Annapolis Shirt Company
Wear your Navy pride
To show off your Navy pride, step inside Annapolis Shirt Company.
In business on Main Street for 20 years, Annapolis Shirt Company specializes in custom T-shirts and sweats at the best prices. The kids corner outfits babies and children in Navy style.
Annapolis Shirt Company also sells Navy gear, cups and glasses, cutting boards, nautical collectables and holiday ornaments. If you have a design in mind for a shirt or sweatshirt, Annapolis Shirt Company can realize it.
Owner Jason Owens attends clothing shows most weekends to bring Annapolis the most up-to-date looks. Wife and manager Tiffany Owens, at Annapolis Shirt Company for 18 years, welcomes you with a smile and friendly service.
Annapolis Shirt Company: 159 Main St., Annapolis; 410-990-1604; www.navystuff.com
Anne Arundel County Farmers Markets
A look at four vendors at the weekly market
Oksana Produce Farms
Oksana Bocharova, a native of the Belgorod region of Russia, inherited her love of farming and nature from her father Yury. He managed a large collective farm and would often bring her to the fields and teach her all that he knew about agriculture as he examined the crops. By the time she was seven, she knew she wanted to be a farmer.
Oksana earned a master’s in agronomy in 1992 and then worked as an agronomist and production manager on a 5,000-acre collective farm. At the same time, thanks to relaxed rules concerning land management, she and her husband leased 200 acres and produced vegetables, sugar beets and also raised pigs for markets nearby and in Moscow.
In 1997, Oksana graduated from AgroBusiness School in Moscow and then came to the U.S. through the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Farm Training Program. She eventually moved to Maryland to work on a certified organic farm in Anne Arundel County. This experience gave momentum to her dream of buying land and establishing her own farm for growing produce for markets and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers as well as making and selling her own heritage varieties of fermented foods.
By 2013, that dream became a reality; she was able to secure a loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a program designed to help immigrants, women and beginning farmers start their own farms. Oksana bought seven acres in historic Chestertown, Md., and began the process of cover-cropping to improve the soil’s organic content and growing vegetables for local markets and her CSA subscribers. Oksana’s Produce Farm was born. Her love for the land and her strict adherence to not using synthetics or genetically modified organisms can be observed — and tasted — in the quality of her fresh produce and fermented vegetables.
Oksana learned how to ferment vegetables from her mother and grandmother. She uses minimal, unrefined sea salt and a quick turnaround, which give the vegetables a crisp texture and bright flavor.
“Oksana’s Produce Farm is not about just selling vegetables; our mission is to create a beautiful, diverse, productive ecosystem that provides natural conditions for our food production,” Oksana says. “To provide real food produced to preserve your health and protect the environment.”
Tuckers Good Earth Soaps
If all natural materials matter to you, then what goes into your soap matters, too. Tom Richardson of Severna Park is the soapmaker and owner behind Tuckers Good Earth Soaps. “Our soaps are made entirely by hand using all-natural ingredients like yellow shea butter, organic oils and essential oils,” Richardson says.
Attention to every element that goes into his product is important to Richardson.
“I use a raw avocado oil which is hard to obtain, but very good for the skin when used in soap. I also only use the yellow shea butter and essential oils for scenting the soaps. No fragrances or perfumes or dyes are used in any of my products.”
Richardson started making soap as holiday gifts for his friends and family six years ago. “Someone said I should try and sell my soap,” he says.
The enterprise now keeps him motivated to try new ideas involving soapmaking. “I enjoy listening to my customers on what they like in the soaps and also talking about healthy living.”
Blades Orchard and Faulkner Branch Cidery
Blades Orchard is a fruit farm in Caroline County that grows small berries, peaches, apples, melons, pumpkins and vegetables and presses their own apple cider.
“We started as an orchard in 2008. In 2009 we began a CSA. We are the only CSA I know that grows everything we put in our boxes, including fruit, each week,” say owners Stephen and Lynda Blades.
The farm is busy with farmer’s markets, five per week with an owner always in attendance.
“In 2015 we started a hard cider and distilling company to use our apples,” the Blades say. “We are actively pursuing a distilling license so that we can transform our peach seconds into delicious spirits.”
In addition to visiting them at the market, the farm is open for apple and pumpkin picking and tours each weekend starting September 10th through October 30th. Visit them with your family to pick apples and enjoy a glass of cider on the back patio.
The Bay Mushrooms
Located in Cambridge, this family business began growing organic gourmet mushrooms in 2012. Owner Jose Prieto prides himself in using no pesticides during any stage of the production cycle.
The farm produces six different species of mushrooms and is currently expanding its operation with the acquisition of a farm in Federalsburg. “We hand-pick our mushrooms just before we take them to the market, to ensure they are fresh and flavorful,” says Prieto. “Any of our gourmet mushrooms can give that special twist to any traditional dish. Mushrooms add texture, color and flavor in a way no other ingredient can.”
He started growing mushrooms as a hobby with his friends while attending the University of Puerto Rico, “and I used it to impress my wife,” he says. “It took a few tries.”
When the family moved to Maryland he started growing them again much to the delight of his new neighbors. The next natural step was to bring his Lion’s Mane, oyster, elm, yellow, king and shittake mushrooms to farmers markets.
Prieto and his wife work full-time with the USDA and the University of Maryland. Their 3-year-old son also helps out with the family business. “His first word was mushroom,” says Prieto with a laugh.
Oksana Bocharova, a native of the Belgorod region of Russia, inherited her love of farming and nature from her father Yury. He managed a large collective farm and would often bring her to the fields and teach her all that he knew about agriculture as he examined the crops. By the time she was seven, she knew she wanted to be a farmer.
Oksana earned a master’s in agronomy in 1992 and then worked as an agronomist and production manager on a 5,000-acre collective farm. At the same time, thanks to relaxed rules concerning land management, she and her husband leased 200 acres and produced vegetables, sugar beets and also raised pigs for markets nearby and in Moscow.
In 1997, Oksana graduated from AgroBusiness School in Moscow and then came to the U.S. through the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Farm Training Program. She eventually moved to Maryland to work on a certified organic farm in Anne Arundel County. This experience gave momentum to her dream of buying land and establishing her own farm for growing produce for markets and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers as well as making and selling her own heritage varieties of fermented foods.
By 2013, that dream became a reality; she was able to secure a loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a program designed to help immigrants, women and beginning farmers start their own farms. Oksana bought seven acres in historic Chestertown, Md., and began the process of cover-cropping to improve the soil’s organic content and growing vegetables for local markets and her CSA subscribers. Oksana’s Produce Farm was born. Her love for the land and her strict adherence to not using synthetics or genetically modified organisms can be observed — and tasted — in the quality of her fresh produce and fermented vegetables.
Oksana learned how to ferment vegetables from her mother and grandmother. She uses minimal, unrefined sea salt and a quick turnaround, which give the vegetables a crisp texture and bright flavor.
“Oksana’s Produce Farm is not about just selling vegetables; our mission is to create a beautiful, diverse, productive ecosystem that provides natural conditions for our food production,” Oksana says. “To provide real food produced to preserve your health and protect the environment.”
Tuckers Good Earth Soaps
If all natural materials matter to you, then what goes into your soap matters, too. Tom Richardson of Severna Park is the soapmaker and owner behind Tuckers Good Earth Soaps. “Our soaps are made entirely by hand using all-natural ingredients like yellow shea butter, organic oils and essential oils,” Richardson says.
Attention to every element that goes into his product is important to Richardson.
“I use a raw avocado oil which is hard to obtain, but very good for the skin when used in soap. I also only use the yellow shea butter and essential oils for scenting the soaps. No fragrances or perfumes or dyes are used in any of my products.”
Richardson started making soap as holiday gifts for his friends and family six years ago. “Someone said I should try and sell my soap,” he says.
The enterprise now keeps him motivated to try new ideas involving soapmaking. “I enjoy listening to my customers on what they like in the soaps and also talking about healthy living.”
Blades Orchard and Faulkner Branch Cidery
Blades Orchard is a fruit farm in Caroline County that grows small berries, peaches, apples, melons, pumpkins and vegetables and presses their own apple cider.
“We started as an orchard in 2008. In 2009 we began a CSA. We are the only CSA I know that grows everything we put in our boxes, including fruit, each week,” say owners Stephen and Lynda Blades.
The farm is busy with farmer’s markets, five per week with an owner always in attendance.
“In 2015 we started a hard cider and distilling company to use our apples,” the Blades say. “We are actively pursuing a distilling license so that we can transform our peach seconds into delicious spirits.”
In addition to visiting them at the market, the farm is open for apple and pumpkin picking and tours each weekend starting September 10th through October 30th. Visit them with your family to pick apples and enjoy a glass of cider on the back patio.
The Bay Mushrooms
Located in Cambridge, this family business began growing organic gourmet mushrooms in 2012. Owner Jose Prieto prides himself in using no pesticides during any stage of the production cycle.
The farm produces six different species of mushrooms and is currently expanding its operation with the acquisition of a farm in Federalsburg. “We hand-pick our mushrooms just before we take them to the market, to ensure they are fresh and flavorful,” says Prieto. “Any of our gourmet mushrooms can give that special twist to any traditional dish. Mushrooms add texture, color and flavor in a way no other ingredient can.”
He started growing mushrooms as a hobby with his friends while attending the University of Puerto Rico, “and I used it to impress my wife,” he says. “It took a few tries.”
When the family moved to Maryland he started growing them again much to the delight of his new neighbors. The next natural step was to bring his Lion’s Mane, oyster, elm, yellow, king and shittake mushrooms to farmers markets.
Prieto and his wife work full-time with the USDA and the University of Maryland. Their 3-year-old son also helps out with the family business. “His first word was mushroom,” says Prieto with a laugh.
Oksana Bocharova, a native of the Belgorod region of Russia, inherited her love of farming and nature from her father Yury. He managed a large collective farm and would often bring her to the fields and teach her all that he knew about agriculture as he examined the crops. By the time she was seven, she knew she wanted to be a farmer.
Oksana earned a master’s in agronomy in 1992 and then worked as an agronomist and production manager on a 5,000-acre collective farm. At the same time, thanks to relaxed rules concerning land management, she and her husband leased 200 acres and produced vegetables, sugar beets and also raised pigs for markets nearby and in Moscow.
In 1997, Oksana graduated from AgroBusiness School in Moscow and then came to the U.S. through the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Farm Training Program. She eventually moved to Maryland to work on a certified organic farm in Anne Arundel County. This experience gave momentum to her dream of buying land and establishing her own farm for growing produce for markets and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers as well as making and selling her own heritage varieties of fermented foods.
By 2013, that dream became a reality; she was able to secure a loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a program designed to help immigrants, women and beginning farmers start their own farms. Oksana bought seven acres in historic Chestertown, Md., and began the process of cover-cropping to improve the soil’s organic content and growing vegetables for local markets and her CSA subscribers. Oksana’s Produce Farm was born. Her love for the land and her strict adherence to not using synthetics or genetically modified organisms can be observed — and tasted — in the quality of her fresh produce and fermented vegetables.
Oksana learned how to ferment vegetables from her mother and grandmother. She uses minimal, unrefined sea salt and a quick turnaround, which give the vegetables a crisp texture and bright flavor.
“Oksana’s Produce Farm is not about just selling vegetables; our mission is to create a beautiful, diverse, productive ecosystem that provides natural conditions for our food production,” Oksana says. “To provide real food produced to preserve your health and protect the environment.”
Tuckers Good Earth Soaps
If all natural materials matter to you, then what goes into your soap matters, too. Tom Richardson of Severna Park is the soapmaker and owner behind Tuckers Good Earth Soaps. “Our soaps are made entirely by hand using all-natural ingredients like yellow shea butter, organic oils and essential oils,” Richardson says.
Attention to every element that goes into his product is important to Richardson.
“I use a raw avocado oil which is hard to obtain, but very good for the skin when used in soap. I also only use the yellow shea butter and essential oils for scenting the soaps. No fragrances or perfumes or dyes are used in any of my products.”
Richardson started making soap as holiday gifts for his friends and family six years ago. “Someone said I should try and sell my soap,” he says.
The enterprise now keeps him motivated to try new ideas involving soapmaking. “I enjoy listening to my customers on what they like in the soaps and also talking about healthy living.”
Blades Orchard and Faulkner Branch Cidery
Blades Orchard is a fruit farm in Caroline County that grows small berries, peaches, apples, melons, pumpkins and vegetables and presses their own apple cider.
“We started as an orchard in 2008. In 2009 we began a CSA. We are the only CSA I know that grows everything we put in our boxes, including fruit, each week,” say owners Stephen and Lynda Blades.
The farm is busy with farmer’s markets, five per week with an owner always in attendance.
“In 2015 we started a hard cider and distilling company to use our apples,” the Blades say. “We are actively pursuing a distilling license so that we can transform our peach seconds into delicious spirits.”
In addition to visiting them at the market, the farm is open for apple and pumpkin picking and tours each weekend starting September 10th through October 30th. Visit them with your family to pick apples and enjoy a glass of cider on the back patio.
The Bay Mushrooms
Located in Cambridge, this family business began growing organic gourmet mushrooms in 2012. Owner Jose Prieto prides himself in using no pesticides during any stage of the production cycle.
The farm produces six different species of mushrooms and is currently expanding its operation with the acquisition of a farm in Federalsburg. “We hand-pick our mushrooms just before we take them to the market, to ensure they are fresh and flavorful,” says Prieto. “Any of our gourmet mushrooms can give that special twist to any traditional dish. Mushrooms add texture, color and flavor in a way no other ingredient can.”
He started growing mushrooms as a hobby with his friends while attending the University of Puerto Rico, “and I used it to impress my wife,” he says. “It took a few tries.”
When the family moved to Maryland he started growing them again much to the delight of his new neighbors. The next natural step was to bring his Lion’s Mane, oyster, elm, yellow, king and shittake mushrooms to farmers markets.
Prieto and his wife work full-time with the USDA and the University of Maryland. Their 3-year-old son also helps out with the family business. “His first word was mushroom,” says Prieto with a laugh.
The small park between Love Point Road and Cockey Lane in Historic Stevensville transforms again on Saturday, September 24, into a live mixed-media canvas for the Eighth Annual Art in the Park, sponsored by the Historic Stevensville Arts and Entertainment District.
You’ll find local creations in many forms: original paintings, prints, photography, pottery and sculptures. While musicians entertain you, food stands will satisfy your thirst and hunger. Shops and galleries are open as well. There’ll also be special drawings for gift baskets and limited-edition prints donated by artists.
While you’re enjoying Art in the Park, stop in Artists at Work Studio and Gallery. In town for 20 years, Artists at Work showcases more than 20 local artists, including members of the Chesapeake Art League and the late Ellen Edwards, who worked with such notable artists as Andy Warhol. Get a preview: www.facebook.com/artists
atworkstevensville/.
Saturday, September 24, 10am to 4pm, rain or shine.
It’s not too late for artists and artisans to join Art in the Park!
Art in the Park: Historic Stevensville Arts and Entertainment District; 410-604-1230; 410-643-9075; www.stevensvilleartsandentertainment.org
Artists At Work Studio and Gallery, Jeanne Noble, proprietor: 109 Cockey Ln., Stevensville; 410-604-1230
Art Things Inc.
All you need to make a masterpiece
Fifty years ago, when Lydia Nolan was taking a sculpture class at the home of an Annapolis artist, there was no place in town to buy the materials she needed. With encouragement from her husband, Nolan opened Art Things, Inc., in West Annapolis in the fall of 1966. Annapolis Street had just been zoned light commercial, and an entrepreneurial real-estate woman bought the building at 12 Annapolis Street. Several women-owned businesses were attracted to the shared space: a yarn shop, an embroidery shop, a dress shop and, in the tiny back sunroom, Art Things.
Fast forward 50 years: Nolan’s daughter Laurie runs the shop with manager Kim Eshleman in a two-story location at No. 2 Annapolis Street. The selection and service are legendary. All are invited to peruse the quality art supplies, a great kid’s section, wonderful greeting cards, pens, journals and handmade papers.
The Mona Lisa sign out front is a landmark of sorts and has become a Pokémon Go poke-stop. With the materials at Art Things, you could paint your own Mona Lisa.
Lots of creative inspiration and art networking happen at Art Things every day. Without the loyal customers supporting it for the past half-century, Art Things wouldn’t still be here to supply generations of artists like Lydia Nolan with the materials they need. We are very, very grateful for our customers.
Art Things Inc.: 2 Annapolis St., Annapolis; 410-268-3520; www.ArtThingsInc.com
Babes Boys Tavern
Make every day fun
Come to Babes Boys Tavern @ The Top of the Hill for a casual laid-back atmosphere. PJ Wilson started his experience managing a local restaurant, then opening his first Babes Boys Tavern in 2002 and his second location in Upper Marlboro after a year of remodeling in 2005. Babes Boys is named after his dad Patrick ‘Babe’ Wilson, who played a season for the Boston Red Sox in the 1940s.
PJ and Debbie Wilson run Babes Boys @ The Top, having fun every day and attracting a wonderful clientele with their friendly staff and great food. They specialize in homemade tavern comfort food using local and fresh ingredients. There are homemade soups every day, including cream of crab, plus steaks, seafood, beef stew, pot roast, shepherd’s pie and delicious ribs.
Watch all the sporting events on four widescreen TVs. Enjoy a cozy private room with a fireplace this winter. Any time, visit Babes Boy’s Tavern @ The Top of the Hill in Upper Marlboro for good times. Their Second Annual Halloween Party is October 28.
Call for details and daily specials: 301-627-2012.
Babes Boys Tavern: 15903 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro; 301-627-2012; www.babesboystavernattop.com
Backyard Billy’s
Making backyards fun
Carrying the largest selection of patio furniture, hearth products, Amish merchandise and marble creations on the Eastern Shore, Backyard Billy’s is Chesapeake Country’s one-stop shop for your indoor and outdoor casual furniture needs.
Patio and lawn furniture, umbrellas, firepits, stoves, grills, Asian sculptures, animal houses, pergolas or playlets: You’ll find it all here. For a lighter carbon footprint, we offer new environmentally friendly products.
Owner Bill Williams created Backyard Billy’s after years of working as a hotel manager, staring out of windows and wishing he were outside. Open 25 years, he’s filled Backyard Billy’s with all his dreams of at-home comfort — to satisfy your dreams.
Personalized, attentive service leaves customers happy and satisfied. Visit Backyard Billy’s and see what your backyard needs to keep you happy at home.
Blizzards and heat waves belong outside. If temperature fluctuations inside your home call for a dedicated weather forecast, call the experts at Belair Engineering to control your indoor climate.
Services extend to installing gas fireplaces, gas furnaces, humidifiers, air cleaners, heat pumps, air conditioners and standby generators. Belair Engineering is also your reliable source for installing commodes, water heaters, garbage disposals and kitchen or bathroom fixtures. A full-service heating, air-conditioning and gas-fireplace contractor serving Maryland for 54 years, Belair Engineering has earned an enviable reputation for reliability and quality craftsmanship.
Woman-owned and managed, we’ve won the Small Business of the Year award from the Prince George’s County Board of Trade. Owner Debbie Risher is one of the few women nominated to serve on the executive board for the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.
All of our technicians are drug-screened and mom-approved. A 100 percent satisfaction guarantee is provided for your added peace of mind.
Call today!
Charm and quality of the past with the convenience and variety of today
Return to a simpler time at Bowen’s Grocery. Take your time, enjoy shopping and chatting with old friends.
Opened in 1929 by Frederick and Frances Mogck, then known as Mogck’s, Bowen’s Grocery is a Southern Maryland landmark. The Mogcks’ grandson, Gordon Bowen, grew up in the business. In 1964, Gordon and wife Gracie became owners of the grocery and changed the name to Bowen’s.
For the past 87 years, Bowen’s Grocery has served the community. The Bowens and staff enjoy getting to know their customers well enough to call them by their names. This dying breed of grocery store will transport you to a time of charm and quality, while keeping today’s standard of convenience and variety.
Bowen’s is a unique shopping experience. They have a full line of groceries, produce and meats for all you daily needs.
Their popular deli offers breakfast platters and sandwiches, a large selection of subs, sandwiches, french fries, onion rings and much more. Homemade soups, salads and desserts are a specialty.
The meat department offers our own freshly ground chuck, steaks, stuffed pork chops and homemade country sausage — as well as Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses. Fresh oysters, when in season, and fresh crabmeat are a favorite with customers.
Hand-dipped Hershey’s ice cream is a favorite with everyone. One whole aisle is filled with bulk candy, gummies, snack mixes, nuts and cookies all packaged and ready to go.
They have a wide selection of beer and wine.
Need a gift or something special for your home? Bowen’s has candles, gifts, home décor, Ceramika Artystyczna Polish pottery and handcrafted items. The selection is constantly changing.
Shopping at Bowen’s Grocery is a unique experience.
Bowen’s Grocery: 4300 Hunting Creek Rd., Huntingtown; 410-257-2222
Brick Wood Fired Bistro
Farm to table, garden to glass
Brick Wood Fired Bistro owner Jason Nagers.
At Brick Wood Fired Bistro, you will never be bored.
The Bistro’s modern American restaurant features wood-fired cuisine in a fun, seasonal menu that is constantly evolving. Recent favorites include Oysters Brickafella, a Brick Wood Fired Bistro take on Oysters Rockefeller with spinach and bacon, a Maryland Crab pizza with Old Bay-buttered crust and local Spider Hall Farm’s ice cream in the flavor of the day. Using the freshest local ingredients, Brick Wood Fired Bistro makes most everything in house — from barbecue sauce to pizza dough to pickled green beans. Your experience will be unique and delicious every visit.
The seasonal, locally sourced, made-from-scratch menu includes great cocktails garnished with herbs grown in the rooftop garden right above your table. Wine on tap, a feature unique to Brick Wood Fired Bistro, an ever-evolving craft beer list, the largest range of local beer in the area and 40 bourbons give you plenty of options. On Wednesdays and Sundays, enjoy half-priced wine with your meal.
Beer and wine dinners — with courses matched to beers or wines — are a customer favorite. On September 8, enjoy Brick Wood Fired Bistro’s Pacific Coast Wine Dinner; a five-course West Coast-themed dinner with pairings from some of the premier Pacific coast wine regions — Napa, Calif., Russian River, Calif., Willamette Valley, Ore., and Yamika Valley, Wash.
Sunday brunch is offered 10am to 2pm, featuring an a la carte menu with bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas.
Owner Jason Nagers has worked in restaurants with his mother, Ronda Tracy, owner of Salsaritas in Prince Frederick, since he was 15. His life goal has been opening his own restaurant — where he’d be serving fine meals and memorable experiences.
Providing live music every Wednesday at 6:30pm, private banquet rooms for parties and a bar serving local brews through the night, Brick Wood Fired Bistro is Calvert County’s unique local gathering spot.
Don’t avoid this crabby couple; Robert and Rita Penn are out to please you with Chesapeake blue crabs, plus local farm and seafood specialties.
Rob worked as a Calvert County waterman and executive chef for over 25 years, while Rita works for the federal government managing contracts, customer service and marketing. Venturing into a business of their own, they agreed on shared core values: quality food, family atmosphere, customer service and community involvement.
Visit Calvert Crabs and Seafood Carryout west of Prince Frederick on Rt. 231 at Spider Hall Farm, a 362-acre working tobacco, corn, and grain farm. You’ll find crabs live or steamed, at no extra charge, all hand-sorted for size and weight. Also on the menu: homemade jumbo-lump crab cakes, spiced shrimp and many seafood sandwiches and platters. Soups, salads, sides and sauces are handmade fresh daily from signature recipes.
Seafood comes straight from local watermen in season and is hand-battered and cooked to order. Raw seafood is also sold by the pound.
The Spider Hall Farm Stand also sells fresh fruits and vegetables, beef and dairy products, including ice cream, for a one-stop shopping experience.
All together, Spider Hall Farm is a great destination for a weekend family fun excursion. Bring your kids and dogs, have lunch picnic-style, play corn hole and enjoy the farm rabbits and atmosphere. The Penns especially enjoy Saturdays at the farm, with kids in sports .uniform, bubbling with excitement over just-played games.
In its second season, Calvert Crabs is expanding with new lunch and dinner specials in September and longer hours for evenings at Spider Hall Farm. In October, the farm offers guided hayrides, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, a corn maze and agricultural lessons. At night, the farm transforms into Twisted Fields of Terror.
Calvert Crabs and Seafood Carryout: 3915 Hallowing Point Rd., Prince Frederick; 301-787-8808; www.calvertcrabs.com;
www.facebook.com/CalvertCrabs
Catalina Pool Builders
Create your own oasis
Beat the Maryland heat and humidity with a backyard oasis from Catalina Pools. With over 35 years of experience, one of our designers can create a custom made in-ground concrete pool for homeowners who want a vacation site in their own backyard.
Catalina is your alternative to franchise pool companies and cookie-cutter pool designs. We provide one-on-one personalized service from the initial project consultation to the completion of your pool.
Catalina also renovates older pools, making them look like new.
Whether it’s a new pool or an older one brought up to date, homeowners will get a beautiful space to relax or play. Designs are custom-made for each yard and homeowner, ensuring that the pool will be enjoyed for years and years.
Catalina Pool Builders: 836 Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park; 410-647-7665; www.catalinapoolbuilders.com
Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa
Family, friends, fun and food — into the future
Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa continues a four-generation tradition of hospitality, changing with each generation to reflect the tastes and tempo of its time.
First came Wesley Stinnett’s family restaurant of 1936 … then the original Rod ‘N’ Reel of 1946, a waterfront stop for fishing as well as good eating. In 1978 Stinnett grandsons Gerald and Freddy Donovan made Rod ‘N’ Reel a destination with waterfront dining, Calvert County’s largest charter fishing fleet, the huge draw of bingo and the imagination-boggling abundance of Sunday brunches.
From there Gerald, always the dreamer, could see the future. With the grand expansion of 2004, the addition of a hotel and spa transformed Rod ‘N’ Reel into the Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa with something for just about every pleasure-seeking taste. The resort boasts restaurants with a panorama of the Chesapeake Bay, the most commodious ballroom in the county, a Bayfront setting for weddings and life occasions with full catering and the amenities of a spa and hotel, a sandy beach and the outdoor cafe. There is entertainment day and night with charter fishing, a marina for your boat, electronic bingo and rentals including kayaks and paddle boards. Don’t miss nightly music — including big-name acts at affordable prices, great tribute bands and more — playing in a bandshell replica from Chesapeake Beach’s early glory days as a resort.
Gerald’s vision was bigger still. With the support and abilities of wife Mary and their children Wesley Donovan and Mary Lanham, the chairman of the board envisioned a new and better Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa as the very hub of the town. Construction on that plan begins this year with the renovation of the hotel, rise of the restaurant to four stories including a rooftop deck, addition of shops and a parking structure and, across Rt. 261, a livable, walkable condominium community.
A century ago, Chesapeake Beach rose as a place people came for pleasure. Keeping up with all our changes, it’s still that way today.
All are always welcome to the pleasures of Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa.
Natural dog food is not fancy, and it’s not a fad. It may cost less than what you’re now spending — plus saving you vet bills in the long run. Most important, you’ll be nourishing your animal companions with the basic ingredients for good health.
Health begins with what you eat. Mass-produced pet food is full of chemical additives, grain, soy, corn and other ingredients alien to the natural diets of our now-domesticated animals. Meanwhile, many naturally nutritious elements are refined out.
The pet food you buy is what your dog or cat eats day in and day out. If you were going to live on one thing, wouldn’t you want it to be the best it can be? A $1.99 fast food burger — or real meat?
When Crunchies Natural Pet Foods owner Julia Brewer began to search for healthy, natural food for her ailing cat Bonkers, she had no easy task. Eventually she found a supplier willing to deliver to her house. Word got around, and Brewer was soon taking orders for natural pet foods.
Selling healthy food out of her living room led to the opening of Crunchies, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Now, Crunchies is trusted by customers who agree that their pets’ health and longevity begin with diet.
Crunchies is also the proud supplier of food for many Maryland police K-9 units, including the Prince George’s County Police Department and Sheriff’s Department, Maryland Park and Planning Police and Greenbelt Police. That says a lot about the quality of food sold at Crunchies because police dogs need to be healthy, at the proper weight and able to go at a moment’s notice, at peak performance 24 hours a day.
At Crunchies, you’ll be guided to good food choices for your pets based on weight, age, preferences and routine. You’re offered free samples to take home for taste testing. Pets are welcome to shop with you and enjoy free treats.
Open Monday to Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-5pm; closed Sunday.
Crunchies Natural Pet Foods: 2421 Crofton Ln., Crofton; 410-721-5432; www.crunchies.com
Crunchies Natural Pet Foods owner Julia Brewer.
Crunchies Natural Pet Foods owner Julia Brewer.
Dave Wright, Champion Realty
Make the Wright choice
Dave Wright brings an impressive resume to your search for home: Associate broker with Champion Realty, president of the local Association of Realtors in 2006 and co-owner of real estate company Manis & Wright Realty from 1989 to 1994. As a homegrown Annapolitan, he has all the local information, key contacts and first-hand knowledge of the people and places that make our county so special.
Working with wife Laury as a realty team, Wright can help you sell, or find your dream home.
After having survived three recessions over 40 years of residential and commercial real estate sales in the Annapolis area, Wright is confident in his ability. “I believe my depth of experience and longevity in the business sets me apart from my competition,” he says. “I have thrived after each recession no matter what. Buyer or seller, you should come to me if you desire an experienced local professional to advocate for you.”
Since entering the real estate industry in 1976, Wright has committed to providing superior customer service and sound advice to every client. He believes his success has come from serving customers and clients with honesty, integrity and professionalism.
Wright’s father, the late John B. Wright, a well-known local attorney, encouraged his son in the business. Wright senior had a keen eye for real estate and acquired unimproved buildable tax sale lots in areas of Annapolis that had, or were about to receive, public sewage. Wright sold the lots to local builders who often hired him to sell the new homes on these affordable lots. To this day, Wright remains active in new home sales.
He doesn’t, however, see his job as just selling homes. He is solving problems to help people achieve their dreams, whether it’s purchasing your first home or selling a home to move on. In today’s market, you need every advantage. Having an experienced, proven professional on your side of the transaction is to your best advantage.
If you’re looking on the western edge of Annapolis, Wright has sold a parcel of land to a local builder planning to construct eight new townhouses. Wright will be the sales representative for these homes when they are completed in 2017.
Providing you with the best in hardware, software, service & support
D. Miller Associates, a full service computer company located in Deale, has successfully served businesses and retail clients for over 30 years. We provide custom-built desktops; sell and service laptops; configure and install networks; and repair, upgrade and refurbish computers.
“What sets our office apart from the big box stores or ordering online is not just that you can get a top-of-the-line business-grade computer system right here in Deale for an excellent price, but the exceptional customer service and support we provide,” says company president David Miller. “Our local technicians are highly qualified, and care about your home and office computer needs.”
D. Miller Associates provides answers and advice you can rely on and understand. We’re experts at transferring your settings to your new computer and making sure that your new computer is properly configured with up-to-date security software. “We can help prevent and remove the ransomware and scareware software that is becoming increasingly more prevalent and costly to businesses and consumers.”
“What I like the most about our business is the ability to provide full-solution computer service needs, including custom upgrades for home and business computers and removing harmful viruses and spyware,” Miller says. “We clean the inside of your computer and install any necessary Windows updates, reseat the accessory cards and check for other problems. We have the ability to remotely access your PC at your request and help solve problems, and can provide backup assistance with both remote and cloud backups.”
D. Miller Associates also works with construction-specific software and hardware, and we are seeing new and exciting applications for Document Imaging, Remote Time Payroll Collection and Service Software. Let D. Miller Associates be your computer company of choice for both your business and home computer needs and join our hundreds of extremely satisfied clients.
D. Miller Associates: 5720-C Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale; 301-261-5989; www.dmillerassociates.com
Eastern Grounds Landscaping
Your full service, experienced and seasoned landscaper
For over 10 years, Eastern Grounds Landscaping owner Bill Schultz and his team have been turning over new leaves for their customers … literally. They provide landscaping maintenance, fall cleanup and monthly maintenance services. From mulching to mowing, pruning to planting, leaf, weed and debris removal to landscaping, they’ve got you covered. Their most popular request is a one-time major fall cleanup to edge, prune and mulch, and outlining a monthly visit to maintain existing landscaping.
As a teenager, Schultz started with a push mower cutting grass for his neighbors. He credits his endurance as a long-distance collegiate swimmer at Florida State with helping him meet the demands of running a successful landscaping company. After retiring from competitive open-water swimming, he wrote a business plan for his landscaping company and never looked back.
Eastern Grounds has fully trained personnel who provide fair pricing and great work. They are fully licensed and insured. Schultz is also the company’s estimator. Eastern’s crews show up in uniform with trucks marked with the company logo.
When a customer calls the office, Jackie, the office manager, answers. After getting an idea of what a customer wants, an appointment is set for Schultz to meet with the customer. “We confirm the job start date with the customer and begin the job with one of my crews to go over exactly what services are being performed and what will not be performed,” Schultz says. “Although this process takes more time, it is the absolute best-case scenario for customers. This process almost guarantees to make it a pleasurable experience for you.” He continually reminds his crews to do the job right and take the time needed to do a perfect job — no cutting corners and no skimping on materials.
“As a result of our great relationship with the community, we are opening our doors to new customers for a short period of time until November 15th,” Schultz says. After that period, no new customers will be added in order to continue providing excellent service to existing clients.
“I absolutely love what I do, Schultz says. “I am so fortunate to have the best group of people and customers to work with, getting up early and pushing myself to work until late in the evening is rewarding!”
Eastern Grounds Landscaping: 13700 Old Chapel Rd., Bowie; 301-867-6052; www.EasternGroundsLandscaping.com
En-Tice-Ment Farms and Stables
A fourth-generation farm family diversified to modern tastes
Just 10 miles south of the busy city of Annapolis, the Tice family puts two farms of 440 combined acres to use with two businesses.
At En-Tice-Ment Farm-Raised Meats, animals graze on 90 green acres. Down the road, En-Tice-Ment Stables at Obligation Farms provides 350 acres of riding grounds.
En-Tice-Ment Farm is home to beef cows, pigs, lambs, broiler chickens and laying hens. These naturally raised animals are all free-range. No drugs or hormones enter their systems. This standard of care produces high-quality meat.
Farming is a Tice family heritage. Joey Tice’s father and grandfather raised the traditional Maryland cash crop, tobacco, along with many animals on the family farm on Bestgate Road — where a Wawa now stands. The Tice family bought En-Tice-Ment Farm in Harwood in 1974. When Deana and Joey married in 1986, they went to work on En-Tice-Ment Farm together.
The rise for farmers markets and customers’ demand for smaller quantities of meat turned the Tices into market farmers. Products range from sides and quarters to meal-sized packages, all sold in familiar super-market cuts. All meat is butchered under U.S. Department of Agriculture standards and immediately frozen.
Visit any local farmers markets for your En-Tice-Ment meat: Crofton on Wednesdays, Greenstreet Gardens in Lothian on Thursdays, Chesapeake Christ Fellowship of Davidsonville on Fridays and Anne Arundel County Farmers Market in Annapolis on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend mornings at the Anne Arundel County Market are busy for En-Tice-Ment, with their breakfast sandwiches made with products from their farms a shoppers’ favorite.
A true family business, everyone in the Tice family pitches in. Josh, 15, commands the pigs. Twins Cody and Justin, 13, are in charge of 250 laying hens. Their parents run the commercial side of the farms, with Joey also caring for broiler chickens.
En-Tice-Ment is also a part of 4H, the national club for kids ages 8 to 18 who raise and show livestock at fairs. See Tice animals on display at the Anne Arundel County Fair September 14 to 18.
Three miles away from En-Tice-Ment farms, the 350 acres of Obligation Farm is home to 75 horses. En-Tice-Ment Stables is a safe place for first-time equestrians; well-trained horses and staff work well with beginners. Riders are treated like family.
Newcomers are started with a half-hour private lesson so their trainer can learn about the rider and their needs. Aspiring equestrians from all parts of Maryland come to En-Tice-Ment Stables for advanced instructors. Serious equestrians advance at Obligation Farm’s state-certified summer camp with instructors trained in CPR and first aid.
Wife Deana Tice runs the stables at Obligation Farm. A fourth-generation farmer like her husband Joey, Deana attended her first horse show at 17 months. Her mother was a horse trainer and her father a blacksmith, so she was destined to have horses in her life. When Obligation went up for lease three miles down the road from En-Tice-Ment Stables, Deana knew she had found her stables.
En-Tice-Ment Farms: 231 Polling House Rd., Harwood; 443-336-8590; www.enticementfarmraisedmeats.com
En-Tice-Ment Stables at Obligation Farm: 4016 Solomons Island Rd., Harwood; 410-798-4980; www.enticementstables.com
Essex Bank
A community bank with all the amenities
Essex Bank is a community bank providing general banking services including residential, consumer and business lending, depository accounts, online banking, credit cards, and investment products and services. Essex Bank has experienced lenders willing to meet business owners face to face in order to properly structure commercial loan requests.
Branch Officer Amanda Simpson started as a part-time teller while working on her four-year degree. She is very pleased with the benefits and opportunities and appreciates everything that she has learned during her tenure. “It’s great to be a part of a company that supports such community involvement,” she says.
David Klein, Senior Business Banking Relationship Manager, has been in banking since 1978, and he appreciates the flexibility he has as an Essex Bank business lender in order to meet his business customers’ needs.
Both Amanda and David are excited about the rollout of the bank’s improved, more user friendly internet banking service and continued expansion of the bank’s branches in Northern Virginia and Maryland.
Drop by the Annapolis branch of Essex Bank and you will find experienced associates trained to provide services for all of your needs.
Essex Bank: 1835 West St., Annapolis; www.essexbank.com
• Amanda Simpson, Branch Officer: 443-569-7515; [email protected]
• David Klein, Senior Business Banking Relationship Manager: 443-373-8007; [email protected]
Granados Automotive Service Centers
Your one-stop shop for vehicle maintenance
Does your car rattle? Is your truck or RV in need of new tires? How long has it been since your car’s oil was changed? Granados Automotive Service Centers has four locations in Calvert and Charles counties that will provide you with expert vehicle service at an affordable price.
Owners Dino Granados Sr. and Dino Jr. have been working in the automotive industry since 1980. Their four locations in Owings, Prince Frederick, Lusby and La Plata serve thousands of customers throughout Calvert and Charles counties. They are Calvert County’s oldest auto repair shop.
Dino Sr. began his career with NAPA Auto Parts and then became a part of the Goodyear tire family in 1983. In 1990, he decided to become a Goodyear Gemini Automotive Service Dealer. He built up his Southern Maryland and Calvert County clientele when Dino Jr. came on board in 2000. The father and son operation has been providing quality auto repair for over twenty years.
Their fully trained ASE-certified technicians provide many services on cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and commercial fleet vehicles. Services include state inspections, tire replacement, engine and transmission repair, steering and suspension, A/C, mufflers, battery replacement, brakes, tune-ups, transmission, electrical, driveline repair, belt and hose replacement, headlight restoration, windshield wiper blade replacement and more. They are proud to be a certified dealer of Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly Tires.
As the Granados advocate, “regular service and preventive maintenance is the best way to extend the life of your vehicle.”
The Granados believe that customer satisfaction is key. With a dedicated staff and high quality service, their loyal customers are well taken care of.
Granados Automotive Service Centers: www.granadostires.com;
Owings: 410-257-2830 • Prince Frederick: 301-855-1740 • Lusby: 410-326-2672 • La Plata: 301-934-4473
Green Phoenix 2
Dedicated to the arts
Are you longing to see the world? While you wait to book your ticket, enjoy The Green Phoenix 2 store on Main Street in Annapolis. Here you’ll find art from around the world, jewelry, baskets, handbags, accessories and more.
This fair-trade store supports both artists from far away places and locals by ensuring they receive fair compensation for their creations. Owner Liz Sochor and her staff are dedicated, friendly and glad to share the stories of their artists and their crafts, all chosen for uniqueness and excellence. Indulge yourself and find well-priced gifts for friends and family.
Take a quick trip around the world, support local and far away artisans and come home with a souvenir for yourself.
Thank you for supporting the arts!
Green Phoenix 2: 141 Main St., Annapolis; 410-626-0739; www.thegreenphoenix2.com
Harbour Cove Marina
Home for your boat, vacation for you
What better way to enjoy the Chesapeake than on a boat? You get to feel the sun kiss your face, enjoy water sports and spot wildlife. After a long day on the boat, when it’s time to go home, consider putting your boat up at Harbour Cove Marina.
Harbour Cove is a true weekend home for you, your family and friends and your boat. Harbour Cove berths your boat in one of over 185 high-and-dry boatel spaces — our unique offering in the area — plus 62 water slips. A full-service marina, we also offer mid-grade fuel … pump-out service … hauling, including the heavy services of a new 25,000-pound forklift … maintenance … and winter protection. Clean Marina Certification assures you that Harbour Cove is as friendly to the environment as to you.
With your boat safe, you and your family and friends can enjoy Harbour Cove’s amenities: a swimming pool, barbecue and picnic area, beautiful clubhouse stocked with activities including table tennis, billiards, foosball, television and music — plus wireless internet and a new kids zone.
Spring and fall fishing tournaments keep the competition hot. There are also fish-cleaning stations.
Harbour Cove is clean and secure as well as fun. Step into some of the cleanest restrooms in the industry, offering lockers, toiletries and showers plus a laundry.
The property is gated and monitored by state-of-the-art security that allows you 24/7 access.
Within walking distance are tennis courts, restaurants, a coffee shop and shops.
Harbour Cove works hard to ensure you have everything you need at your home away from home.
Dedicated to providing you and your guests with the best boating experience in a clean, fun, family-oriented environment, “we’re the best-kept secret of the Chesapeake,” says general manager Peter Mueller.
Frames complement the art they hold. They should be beautiful but not overpowering, neither too big — nor too small. At House of Frames, your frames will be made on-site by creative framers with unsurpassed craftsmanship.
A family business since 1992, House of Frames is owned by the mother and son team of Beverly and Joseph Smialek. Beverly, an artist, passed on her creativity to her sons, all artists in their own way. Framing began in 1985 when Beverly’s father-in-law, Joseph W. Smialek, a World War II veteran in the Merchant Marines and successful entrepreneur, seized the property of a delinquent warehouse renter in Washington, D.C., which contained framing supplies and equipment. Turning a room of her home into a workshop, Beverly embarked on a new enterprise.
House of Frames began at the encouragement of her son Joseph, then a recent graduate of Salisbury with a BA in business.
After a quarter of a century, Beverly says, “I don’t want to retire. I love what I do.” She has seen and framed wonders, personal treasures from military memorabilia to a wedding dress.
Artists loving art, the pair supports other local artists, whose work is on display throughout the store. You’ll see sea glass candles made with local coral, sharks teeth and glass from Chesapeake Bay beaches, fused-glass sculptures of animals found on safari and a 3D map of the Chesapeake Bay.
For the perfect frame for art or keepsakes, visit House of Frames.
House of Frames: 475 Main St., Prince Frederick;
410-257-1420; www.houseofframes-inc.com
Jalapeños
Add a little spice to your life
Jalapeños owners Gonzalo Fernandez and Alberto Serrano.
According to The Wedding Crashers, Maryland does crab cakes and football. Great Spanish and Mexican restaurants are not what we brag about. After eating at Jalapeños, your thoughts on that will change.
Owners Gonzalo Fernandez, from Asturias, Spain, and Alberto Serrano, from Oaxaca, Mexico, unite Spanish and Mexican cuisine for a refined dining experience. Favorites from Spain, Mexico — many featuring moles — and Cuba include appetizing preparations of shrimp, scallops, fish, chicken, pork, beef, lamb and vegetables in both small and large plates, plus seven authentic taco varieties, salads and guacamole made fresh to order.
Popular in-culture drinks including margaritas, sangria, cervezas and 50 tequilas are served at the full bar.
The partners bring a combined 50 years in the restaurant industry to Jalapeños, and it shows in every aspect of your experience. Stepping from Forest Plaza into Jalapeños, you find yourself in a haçienda: warmed by color, soothed by a wall of water, transported by olive-grove murals and solidly seated at colorful tables. Quality and value are consistent and service is smooth and personal.
But what defines Jalapeños, Fernandez says, is “love for my customers and the energy they bring me.”
Happy hour, with $6 and $7 tapas and special beverage prices, runs from 4 to 7pm Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 6pm Friday and Saturday. Thursday nights bring live music. Watch Bay Weekly for flamenco nights; they book quickly.
Jalapeños owners Gonzalo Fernandez and Alberto Serrano.
Jalapeños owners Gonzalo Fernandez and Alberto Serrano.
JPozz Music
Learn. Play. Jam.
JPozz Music — Cal-Arundel’s newest music store — is a destination for aspiring musicians and music veterans alike.
Owner John Posner’s love for music, musical instruments and teaching music inspired him to make his dream of opening a music store a reality. Now, Posner enjoys meeting you, discussing music tastes and favorite instruments, teaching those new to the art and tinkering with new merchandise.
He likes to think local. JPozz Music is proud to carry local Southern Maryland guitar makers like McSpadden Guitars and TFP Custom Guitars, and supports local bands and musicians. Some days, you can find a band set up outside of the store, inviting you inside to find your musical inspiration.
This one-stop shop provides lessons, instruments, rentals, repairs, quality guitars, amplifiers, ukuleles, strings — plus band and orchestra rentals through National Educational Music Company.
The place to find the unusual piece to set you apart — and attentive, personal and prompt service
Little Treasury owners Linda and Steve Hammalian.
Family-owned Little Treasury leads a double life. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Little Treasury is the Gambrills community’s full-service jeweler. In that aspect, Little Treasury offers fine and popular jewelry lines, custom jewelry design and creation, in-house jewelry repair, watch repair and appraisal.
Founder Linda Hammalian oversees a jewelry selection that ranges from carefully curated collections of designer jewelry to accessible, affordable and attractive lines. This summer, the store has introduced three new brands: Henri Daussi, a line of gorgeous diamond jewelry; Mastoloni Pearls, for a modern twist on classic pearl jewelry; and L. Kendall timepieces for the nautical watch enthusiast.
In its other life, Little Treasury is a center for fine watches. With more than 20 brands ranging from Ball to the newest and most exclusive line, Ateliers de Monaco, the Gambrills jeweler offers what is arguably the most extensive collection of boutique timepieces in the region.
Little Treasury’s stock in trade is “post-mass-market luxury watches,” Hammalian says. Watch connoisseurs think about these “after they’ve gotten over Rolex or Tag Heuer or Breitling and start wanting something to set themselves apart.
“For that business, we’re on the map nationally.”
They come to their shared enterprise from diverse backgrounds.
Emigrating from Shanghai in the mid-1990s and seeking a survival skill, Linda learned the trade in New York and started out selling silver jewelry from pushcarts in local malls. By 2002, her determination, work ethic and attention to detail led her to the new Village at Waugh Chapel and Little Treasury.
Her partner in Little Treasury from the beginning, husband Steve claims a “checkered past.” He’s been a college professor of linguistics, worked in publishing in New York and the environmental industry for 22 years, including a stint as COO of a publically traded company.
“This is my retirement project,” he says, “working harder than ever is my most intriguing job ever, with customers from all over and the very interesting people who design and make watches — with lots of travel for work in between — recently Switzerland, England and the America’s Cup Kickoff in Bermuda for watches.”
Little Treasury serves thousands of customers locally, regionally and throughout the U.S. When you’re looking for the unusual piece to set you apart and for attentive, personal and prompt service, Little Treasury is the place to go.
Little Treasury Jewelers: 2506 New Market Ln., Gambrills; 410-721-7100; www.littletreasury.com
Little Treasury owners Linda and Steve Hammalian.
Little Treasury owners Linda and Steve Hammalian.
Local by Design
Support your local artists
Just this May, a new small business unlike any other opened in downtown Annapolis. The small spot on Main Street is home to over 60 handpicked local artists joined together where you can find them to sell their work. Local by Design is the only shop on Main Street to support only local artists. Passionate about supporting small business, owners Suzi Jett and Susan Sears have gathered unique wares from native artisans to tempt locals and tourists alike.
Founder of Gallery 3976 in Historic Annapolis, Jett has been a supporter of Annapolis artisans for many years. When Gallery 3976’s working studio space proved successful for 12 artists, Jett knew a shop supporting multiple artists could work.
Sears supplies the customer service expertise. With more than 20 years in the retail industry, she knows how to merchandise and sell.
In addition to supporting shopping local, Jett and Sears are dedicated to giving back to the community. They have held many fundraisers for local non-profits at Gallery 3976 and intend to continue at Local by Design. On their first Local Giving Day, July 15, 10 percent of all purchases made at Local by Design benefitted the Annapolis Maritime Museum Education Center.
Local by Design: 109 Main St., Annapolis; 443-808-8571; www.LocalByDesignAnnapolis.com
Luna Blu
Your neighborhood restaurant in Annapolis
“I am so excited to be in our 15th year of business at Luna Blu,” says owner Erin Dryden. “After many years of working in different aspects of the restaurant business I came to work at Luna Blu when it opened. I bought out the partners about 9 years ago and have kept a lot of the original charm of the neighborhood restaurant and added a bit of my own style along the way.
“I am very proud to be the place people pop into on a Wednesday night to enjoy a half-price bottle of wine and a mid-week break from cooking and also for a special occasion such as their anniversary dinner in our front window table looking out at West Street.
“We have so many wonderful local customers who support the restaurant and word of mouth has been a huge part of our success. Guests love the small intimate atmosphere along with our friendly staff and accommodating kitchen help. All dishes are made to order and can be customized. We also bake fresh bread and prepare our homemade desserts every day.
“Our monthly charity wine dinners have become a huge success! I have been so fortunate and was looking for a great way to give back, so I started my dinners about four years ago. I choose a different local charity each month and donate a portion of the sales along with a cash wine raffle. We raise $500 to $600 at each dinner. I have had the opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful people from the different charities. The five-course dinner is the last Sunday of each month at 5pm, paired with wines and a speaker to discuss the different wineries and pairings.
“Inner West Street has continued to evolve over the past 15 years with Dining Under the Stars and live local music and festivals throughout the year.
“We have such a wonderful group of business owners who have a passion for food and our community. I’m very proud to be a part of it, and I look forward to our continued growth.”
Luna Blu: 36 West St., Annapolis; 410-267-9950; www.lunabluofannapolis.com
The Magnolia Shoppe
Express your style
The Magnolia Shoppe is a retail boutique, offering unique furniture, home accents and beautiful personal accessories at fair prices.
No two people are alike, so Magnolia Shoppe’s wide variety of styles and products allows each customer to express their own unique style throughout their home and in their day-to-day personal fashion accessories. Each piece is carefully selected for style, functionality and cost.
Owner Pamela Whitlow opened The Magnolia Shoppe in 2003. The Shoppe has since evolved into a fun boutique known for its personalized service.
The decor at The Magnolia Shoppe changes to celebrate each season and holiday. There is always something new to share with all who pass through its doors.
Special customer services include gift registry, lay-away, gift certificates and special orders.
This fall, enjoy the changing seasonal decor. Celebrating autumn, the holidays and The Magnolia Shoppe’s 13th anniversary, there will be lots of seasonal items you will want to see and events you will want to enjoy.
The Magnolia Shoppe: 2 West Friendship Rd., Friendship; 410-257-7510; www.facebook.com/pages/Magnolia-Shoppe/116801731713083
Malibu Window Cleaning
What does the world look like outside your window?
Set down that squeegee and enjoy your day. Malibu Window Cleaning will save your time — and do the job right for you.
Owner Charlie Olson believes in cleaning windows.
After losing his six-figure job in America’s economic downturn, Charlie pondered where life would take him.
“The entire American financial system on the verge of collapse, I sat on my deck crying crocodile tears,” he recalls. “Then I pulled myself up and noticed there are a heck of a lot of windows in this world. Someone’s gotta clean them.”
That realization launched Malibu Window Cleaning.
Employing local college students and recently retired Annapolitans, Malibu Window Cleaning is a uniquely old-fashioned small business set apart by workmanship, pride and quality. Personality, too.
“Personality sets us apart from the competition,” Charlie says. “We are the guys who wash windows for an 80-year-old grandma, give her a wink, and tell her it’s on us.”
“We are everything that makes Annapolis special,” Charlie says, a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Annapolis and neighborhood charity group Eastport-a-Rockin’.
Looking at other people’s view of the world is one of the advantages of Olson’s work. Your dirty windows could be blocking a view you never knew you had. Call Malibu Window Cleaning and discover what you’re missing.
Marshall & Associates Insurance owner Robin Marshall has worked in the insurance business since graduating from high school — throughout her college career then after graduate school at the University of Maryland.
Experience in large and small agencies prepared Marshall to open her own agency. In 2001, with her first child on the way, she wanted to set her own hours and be part of her daughter’s childhood. Marshall’s small business has since blossomed into a full-service agency that provides insurance and financial solutions to farms, businesses and families in Southern Maryland.
Running a small insurance agency has many advantages, Marshall says. With a smaller, more specific clientele, she can give you the attention you need in personal, confidential, one-on-one professional insurance reviews. She also offers specialized programs for agricultural businesses, including farms, vineyards and wineries.
“We are about the relationships we build,” Marshall says. “Every client is different with their own unique, amazing story.”
Share your story with Robin Marshall, and she’ll provide the insurance you need.
Marshall & Associates Insurance: 501 Main St., Prince Frederick; 410-586-2381; Find us on FaceBook: Marshall & Associates Insurance, Inc.
Maryland Clock Company
Father Time doesn’t have anything on Maryland Clock
Somewhere in your house, there is probably a sad, forgotten clock that was once a focal point of the room. You could bring it out to display it in all its antique glory once again — if you could repair the darn thing. Maryland Clock Company is the place to do the job.
Owners Rick and Doris Graham know their way around a clock. Rick began working in his father’s clock repair shop at the age of 16, then acquired the business in 1969. The Grahams have been repairing clocks for almost half a century. After all this time, it still gives them great joy to watch an old antique clock come back to life.
A second joy is winning a new clientele. “Most of our clients are older,” says Doris. “But I find that I am now seeing younger people bring in clocks that had belonged to parents, grandparents, great-grandparents. I’m happy to see young ones that still care.”
Clock fanciers who may not know how to properly care for antique clocks they have inherited or bought are educated on their use by Doris on a daily basis.
Even in this digital world, Maryland Clock Company is busier than ever. They continually work on clocks from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as more modern varieties. “I always think that I wish clocks could talk,” says Rick. “They were privy to every conversation in every home, office and government building since time began.”
Maryland Clock Company: 1251 West Central Ave., Davidsonville; 410-798-6380; www.marylandclockco.com
Maryland Disc Institute
Solving the puzzle of pain
At the Maryland Disc Institute each patient is a complex puzzle of health issues. “My job is to solve that puzzle, and motivate them to seek a healthier lifestyle,” says Dr. Kathryn Hodges. “Patients who never thought they would walk again or be free of pain now have achieved a quality of life they thought was gone forever.”
Spinal decompression is obtained using the DRX 9000, a machine that gently decompresses the spine, creating a negative disc pressure within the pathological discs that allows the herniated material to re-center and relieve the nerve pressure that causes pain. It is so gentle that most patients fall asleep while undergoing treatment. There is no downtime, as opposed to invasive back surgery, which can require four to eight weeks lost time, lost income and potentially addictive pain killers.
It was Dr. Hodges’ own experience with spinal decompression that saved the practice she loves and convinced her to implement this groundbreaking technology used by surgeons around the country.
However effective spinal decompression can be, it’s not for everyone. That’s why the initial consultation is free. After your examination, Dr. Hodges evaluates your prognosis and explains procedures, costs and insurance coverage.
Call for your phone screening to see if you may be a candidate for this highly successful disc treatment with the DRX9000 non-surgical spine decompression system.
Maryland Disc Institute, Dr. Kathryn Hodges, Director: 43 Old Solomon’s Island Rd., Annapolis; 410-266-3888; www.mddiscinstitute.com
McBride Gallery
Open your eyes to art, and bring it into your world
To learn how to bring art into your home and life — and what’s happening in the art world locally, regionally and nationally — visit McBride Gallery on Main Street in downtown Annapolis. Open your eyes, look around. Art always fills the old home, and themed shows bring more, plus artists giving talks and doing demonstrations. With advance notice, you can even bring your group for a tour.
Be sure to introduce yourself to proprietor Cynthia McBride. No need to be shy. Whether you’re an arts novice, admirer or advocate, McBride speaks your language.
A Minnesota farm girl, she began her arts career in a 10-by-10 gallery space in Hull, Mass., moving her business from city to city with her husband’s career.
Settling down in Annapolis, McBride opened shop downtown, first at the Annapolis Marine Art Gallery, then opening McBride Gallery. A mother herself, she hired neighborhood mothers — who got out of the house for a few hours with other adults, developed skills and earned money helping with the framing portion of the business. When the framing business outgrew her home, McBride opened what is now Benfield Gallery. Each move has been up, each store a reconstruction. There are more than framing instruments in McBride’s toolbox.
Meeting and exchanging ideas with customers is as important to this arts’ entrepreneur as promoting the artists and their creations. She credits her long and enduring presence on Main Street to listening.
When people told her they needed appraisals or help downsizing their art collections, she incorporated those services, as well as restoration and cleaning of art and photos and delivery and installation — a big deal with big art. Her gallery space is so stimulating that it’s often rented for receptions. McBride also arranges portrait commissions.
All those services are down the road. First, come in and take a look. It’s free, and you’ll get an eyeful.
McBride Gallery: 215 Main St., Annapolis; 410-267-7077; www.mcbridegallery.com; www.facebook.com/McBride-Gallery-339773595357/?fref=ts
Meadow Hill Wellness
Live, love, heal
Return to nature with natural healing at Meadow Hill Wellness.
Meadow Hill Wellness is a beautiful wellness center where highly trained health professionals help people get well with acupuncture, natural medicines, massage therapy and nutritional counseling.
Sara Poldmae started Meadow Hill with a goal of empowering and educating the Annapolis community about drug- and surgery-free natural solutions for health issues. Over a decade later, Meadow Hill Wellness has grown to one of the area’s largest acupuncture practices.
Meadow Hill Wellness is constantly working to improve the services offered to you. Sara Poldmae recently became a doctor in her field. Acupuncturists Lindsey Fox and Molly Harbour Hutto have taken higher level training, Fox in fertility enhancement, Hutto in digestive health, helping you reach more of your health goals.
Dr. Poldmae and her associates also work closely with physicians and other medical professionals to ensure that you receive high-quality, safe and effective health care. Acupuncture is a covered benefit under many health insurance plans; Meadow Hill Wellness is a network provider with most major insurance carriers.
Meadow Hill Wellness: 53 Old Solomons Island Rd., Annapolis; 410-263-0411; www.meadowhillwellness.com
Medart Galleries
Showcasing beauty for home and gifts since 1968
Stationed at NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy, over half a century ago, William Radosevic found his wife, Annamaria, and his future. Traveling throughout Europe, the couple met many artists and began collecting original works of art.
Back in the States, William and old shipmate Jim Fletcher planned how to turn their shared hobby into a career. Fletcher returned to Italy, selling art to American forces stationed there and exporting oil paintings to William and Annamaria back home. Thus Medart was born.
Medart began as a wholesaler of Italian oil paintings to art galleries. William and Annamaria’s children, Frank and Teresa, grew up in the business traveling up and down the East Coast with their parents.
In 1979, when Medart’s first retail location opened on Andrews Air Force Base, the whole family was involved. The kids helped their parents tend the shop after school, a tradition that continued when Medart moved to Owings in 1985. Frank became a skilled custom framer, and Teresa developed an eye for color and design.
Medart remains all in the family. The business has expanded to include original art and objet d’art by artists of renown both local and international. You can still find original oil paintings in Medart, plus handcrafted Christian icons and the occasional original botanical tableware imported from Tuscany. Photo restoration as well as custom framing are additional specialties.
Medart enters its 24th season renting quality musical instruments as a Music and Arts Affiliate partner to expand students’ talents in school bands and orchestras.
Medart Galleries: 10735 Town Center Blvd., Dunkirk; 410-257-6616; www.medartgalleries.com
The Melting Pot
A unique fondue experience
While The Melting Pot may be a franchise, the owners don’t want to be limited by that stereotype. Owners Kevin and Julie Mason are locals and love to blend local flavors like Old Bay with industry favorites. The only thing that matches their love of Annapolis is their love of The Melting Pot. They both worked at another location in Arlington, Va., before getting the opportunity to open their own. Their 14th year anniversary this month is a testament to their love for the community and its mutual support.
“When you come to dine with us in or a la carte, it’s always about you and your party with plenty of customizable options in a relaxed atmosphere,” Julie says.
Right now they are preparing for their newest fall promotion called Uncorked where guests can customize their own 3-7 wine flights. To complete the experience each choice will come with a respective food recommendation.
When you go to The Melting Pot in Annapolis, be prepared for something original and fun, with cheese fondue served tableside, fresh salads, and an opportunity to cook your own meal in your choice of broth or oil. Be sure to save room for chocolate fondue dessert, seasonal specialties, wines or local craft beers!
The Melting Pot: 2348 Solomons Island Rd., Annapolis; 410-266-8004; www.meltingpot.com/Annapolis
Minority Business Enterprise Program, AACo Office of Central Services
Helping small businesss succeed
Striking out on your own can be a daunting task. Thankfully, there’s a county program that offers local women- and minority-owned businesses all the tools they need to be successful.
The Minority Business Enterprise Program, operated by the Anne Arundel County Office of Central Services, provides resources and procurement information to small, minority- and woman-owned business seeking to do business with Anne Arundel County government.
“We provide one-on-one business counseling to help companies build the capacity to work with government agencies; help research opportunities in private and public sectors; and provide access to business networking opportunities in the region,” says Joanne Jackson, MBE Coordinator.
Jackson brings her own extensive background in urban regional planning, accounting and community economic development to the MBE program.
If an entrepreneur needs minority business certification, financing or “how to start a business, he or she can call my office for assistance or set up an appointment to discuss their issue,” Jackson adds.
Catch up on all the happenings by watching the Minority Business Report monthly on YouTube. The next report highlights Chesapeake Coffee Connections and artists with the Muddy Creek Artist Guild and Local By Design: http://bit.ly/MinorityBusinessReport.
Minority Business Enterprise Program: 2660 Riva Rd., Annapolis; 410-222-7620; www.aacounty.org
The Old Stein Inn and Bier Bar
Zum Wohl!
Leave Bay country behind when you step into the Old Stein Inn. This authentic German restaurant with its traditional cuisine, decor and music will transport you to the fatherland.
Celebrating 33 years this August, the Old Stein is the place to go in Chesapeake Country when you’re craving the comfort of German food, beer, wine and gemutlichkeit. The Old Stein was established in 1983 by German immigrants Karl and Ursula Selinger, who had dreamed for 20 years of opening an authentic German restaurant in their new home. The Old Stein has recreated Germany so all could enjoy the Selinger’s country firsthand. Karl and Ursula’s son Mike Selinger took over the family business in 1994, mixing modern business savvy with his parents’ old-country tradition.
Selinger doubled the Old Stein’s appeal by adding an outdoor Bier Bar behind the restaurant, transplanting al fresco dining found throughout Europe, as well as creating a lighter summer menu with modern small plates, craft beer and cocktails and a Pint Night every Thursday from 6 to 9pm. These additions have been met with wide approval from new and loyal patrons alike; every weekend the Bier Bar is filled; enjoying it without reservations is almost impossible.
Speaking of reservations, get your lederhosen and your dirndls ready for the always-popular Oktoberfest. From September 16 to the end of October, enjoy German music Friday through Sunday as you drink and eat the best of Germany.
The Old Stein Inn: 1143 East Central Ave., Edgewater; 410-798-6807; www.oldstein-inn.com
Pirate’s Cove Restaurant, Dock Bar and Marina
Locally yours, on the West River
This legendary gathering spot on the scenic West River in Galesville takes its name from its heritage — not because it’s a place you’ll fall into bad company.
Indeed, the company is very good, for it’s likely to be Chesapeake Country neighbors enjoying the atmosphere, the water, the boats.
Manners are friendly, free and easy in the Dock Bar, where you might see a pirate and where local musicians play every weekend. Come by boat or car for cool drinks and light food.
The dining room is an elegantly relaxed eating space for lunch, dinner and special events and meetings.
The den-like bar is cozy and congenial, with bar and table seating and an enormous stone fireplace that will be welcome this winter.
The more casual all-weather sun porch puts you practically on the water.
Nowadays, owner Michael Galway and business partner Anthony Clarke have refreshed the spot that’s been a favorite since the middle of the last century. Successful in the Anne Arundel restaurant scene for two decades, the pair has built a strong community-driven reputation based on old-country hospitality. At Galway Bay, Killarney House and Brian Boru, the Old Country has been Ireland. At Pirate’s Cove, it’s Chesapeake Country. They’ve infused the menu with locally sourced seafood, poultry and produce, and made the Cove a center of community energy, hosting fundraisers for such community-building organizations as the West-Rhode Riverkeeper.
Pirate’s Cove Restaurant, Dock Bar and Marina: 4817 Riverside Dr., Galesville; 410-867-2300; www.piratescovemd.com
The Point Crab House and Grill
A waterfront experience you’ll want to repeat
Just off the Magothy River, easily accessible by boat and car, is The Point, a restaurant that’s an experience in good eating and good times with water all around you. You sit over Mill Creek, open to fresh air and surrounded by the boats of Ferry Point Marina.
Food is fresh, seasonal and locally sourced. Every season, menu, cocktails and beer change. Into fall, you’ll continue to enjoy the freshest crab cakes and crab dip on the Magothy. As the season progresses, enjoy wine- and beer-pairing dinners.
Owners Bobby and Julia Jones had been in the restaurant industry for more than 20 years before opening their own business. They based The Point on memories of growing up on the Chesapeake with traditional Maryland foods, creating “a place where people feel like they’re on a little mini vacation.” After three years in design, permitting and finalizing plans, The Point opened in 2012. Success was immediate, the food and location irresistible.
Always looking ahead the Joneses are exploring new restaurant ideas and locations. Be on the lookout for your family’s new favorite spot.
The Point Crab House and Grill: 700 Mill Creek Rd., Arnold; 410-544-5448; www.thepointcrabhouse.com
Response Senior Care LLC
Helping realize your desire to live in your own home
We’re lucky to live to grow older. Yet as age advances, we lose some of our youthful agility and independence. That needn’t be the time to check into the nursing home. This in-between stage of life calls for a companion who can check on you when your family can’t, drive you where you want to go, help around the house. When you need assistance to continue to live at home, what you need is Response Senior Care.
Response Senior Care’s mission is to provide the highest level of non-medical in-home care for adults. Response caregivers are competent, well-trained and ready to provide friendly care to meet your individual needs. Caregivers help you realize your desire to live in your own home.
Response Senior Care is locally owned and operated, with a staff that has a combined 50 years of experience in direct care, registered nursing, administration and clinical social work. Quality and service are undertaken seriously to support you and ensure your health and safety. Every day, you will be treated with respect and care.
Gary Franklin, MSW, LCSW-C, founded Response Senior Care in 2004. After 35 years in geriatric work, Franklin saw a local need for a home care agency to help seniors remain at home safely rather than leave familiar, beloved space to move into an assisted living home or nursing home. His satisfaction is assisting you in being comfortable living in your own home.
Response Senior Care LLC: 1831 Forest Dr., Annapolis; 410-571-2744; www.response-seniorcare.com
Rogue Pierogies
For the comfort of tasty dumplings almost ready to eat
Rogue Pierogies owner Krista Sermon.
“Football season is pierogie season,” says Annapolitan Krista Sermon, owner, founder and chef of Rogue Pierogies. Each little dumpling is handmade with love from local, fresh ingredients from Maryland farmers. You will not find any preservatives or artificial flavors in these Eastern European delights.
As well as traditional peirogies like potato and cheese, you can also savor ’rogies made with potato, bacon and cheddar or spinach and feta. The Gandolfini features a tomato noodle, mozzarella, sausage, basil and garlic.
All are fully cooked and easy to prepare for the big game. Or serve anytime for family snacks or suppers.
Find Rogue Pierogies at many farmers markets, or order online to find your order ready at the farmers market for pickup. You can also visit any Graul’s Market for your Rogue Pierogies.
• Anne Arundel County Farmers Market, Sundays 10am-2pm
• Crofton Farmers Market, Wednesdays 4-7pm
• Chesapeake Christian Fellowship Farmers Market, Davidsonville, Fridays 4-7pm
• Kent Island Farmers Market, Stevensville, Thursdays 3:30-6:30pm
• Graul’s Markets in Annapolis and Cape St. Claire
With more than 40 years experience in designing jewelry, Ron George has created masterpieces to satisfy many tastes.
“What sets us apart from other jewelry stores is our ability to work with our customers, one-on-one, to design a custom piece that suits them perfectly,” says George.
“Custom jewelry need not bear a huge price tag,” George says. “Our custom jewelry is made by us, and we are a family business. We can make an exquisite piece for any budget. Diamond rings, wedding bands — we even create great new pieces from our customers’ old or unworn jewelry. We really can do it all.”
Ron George Jewelers also has a huge inventory of diamonds and other gemstones.
“We get our diamonds directly from the source, so there is no middle man, which gives us the flexibility to create an otherwise unaffordable piece for our customers,” he explains.
On display in Ron George Jewelers’ showroom is a wide selection of jewelry, from beautiful bracelets and pendants to opal and pearl necklaces, including exquisite one-of-a-kind heirloom pieces. The Ron George staff has the expertise to help you choose wisely.
“Men are often intimidated to pick out jewelry for women,” George says. “We take the guess work out and help them to choose the perfect piece.
“The girls always come in and thank us.”
Ron George Jewelers: 205 Main St., Annapolis; 410-268-3651; www.rongeorgejewelers.com
Schwartz Realty
Voted Best of The Bay for three years running
Schwartz Realty has been a major fixture in Anne Arundel County since 1949 when Max C. Schwartz and his wife Bertie established their first office in Deale.
Through hurricanes, recession, war and gas shortages, Schwartz has made integrity, honesty and solid business practices the norm. Max and Bertie passed those qualities onto their son George and encouraged him to establish a career in real estate. Today George G. Heine Jr. is the broker-president at Schwartz.
Schwartz Realty agents take pride in their knowledge of real estate laws and procedures, which change on a regular basis. Helping the homebuyer to understand the transactions eliminates unnecessary stress.
Want to be the first to know what just came on the market? Schwartz Realty agents invite you to stop in and see all that Schwartz has to offer — and experience hometown hospitality.
Open seven days a week, Schwartz is ready to assist you with purchasing a new home or putting your house on the market, renting, property management, even moving out of state.
“It is so rewarding to hand a buyer the keys to their first home and to be a part of the American dream of home ownership,” says Heine. “We help people achieve their goals.”
Opening a small business is no small task. If you haven’t been involved in the management of a business before, you may not know where to begin. Who can you turn to for help?
Call SCORE, the volunteer-based business training organization.
Since 1964, retired executives have helped to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. With more than 300 chapters nationwide, SCORE assisted with the opening of 55,377 new businesses in 2015. Our local chapter has more than 40 volunteers ready to provide you with the knowledge you need to create your business.
The Southern Maryland SCORE chapter is hosting a Women’s Entrepreneur Conference September 20. At the conference, female entrepreneurs will hear the experiences of successful women, learn the key elements for success and network with similarly inclined women and key business partners.
The event is a must for women thinking about starting a business or in the first couple years of their endeavor.
Take advantage of recently retired business owners’ knowledge and experience. SCORE volunteers want to help you find resources, solve your challenges — and watch you grow and succeed.
Second Wind consignment owner Teri Leisersohn and employees Beth Rogers and Peggy L’Hommedieu.
Second Wind Consignments gives your old-favorites a second lease on life — and invites you to hunt for treasures — from home furnishings to hard-to-find collectibles to marine paraphernalia — at affordable prices.
Surrounded by water and marinas in the Southern Anne Arundel County village of Deale, Second Wind Consignments adds shopping appeal to Deale’s major intersection, the corner of Deale and Drum Point roads.
Formerly a buyer at Annapolis Lighting, Teri Leisersohn launched a business and a second career, a source of income not only for her, but also for her consignors who receive a check every month. Their lamps, china, crystal and jewelry are beautifully displayed by an artful staff — to the delight of curious bargain hunters.
Since 2009, Second Wind has welcomed more than 2,000 consigners who know and trust Second Wind consignment to provide fair pricing and honest business practices. “Clean out your attics and garages,” Leisersohn says. “You’ll scratch it off of your to-do list and put cash in your pocket.”
Local charities also benefit from Second Wind’s good business. With consigners’ permission, goods that fail to sell go in a twice-annual Charity Sale, with proceeds donated to local charities. Her July sale raised more than $1,000, the second highest total of 12 sales. Leisersohn appreciates what she has learned in this business, the people she has met and the antiques, paintings and other treasures that have graced her shop.
Every Friday, Second Wind posts new items on Facebook — and customers hurry to the door seeking that perfect piece they just have to have. Find the consignment policy on www.Secondwindconsignments.com.
Second Wind consignment owner Teri Leisersohn and employees Beth Rogers and Peggy L’Hommedieu.
Second Wind consignment owner Teri Leisersohn and employees Beth Rogers and Peggy L’Hommedieu.
Side Street Framers & Gift Gallery
We will frame everything, even a whale’s eardrum
Where can you find custom frames, hand-made local gifts, jewelry, art, home decor, furniture and antiques? Side Street Framers & Gift Gallery.
This unique store restores photos and transfers videos to DVDs, sells custom frames, art, furniture, home decor, gifts, jewelry, signs and antiques. Every time you visit, Side Street Framers has something different to offer. You never know what treasures you’ll find.
This family-owned and operated business has been open for 28 years, keeping prices reasonable and merchandise beautiful. Owners Barbara Daniels and Dawn Wilson run the shop with framer Stephanie Lavis, who has been with Side Street for 25 years, and are all lovers of art and interior design.
Framing jobs are Wilson’s favorite part of Side Street. “Everyday someone brings us something new and exciting that we normally would never see,” she says. “We have had the privilege of framing items such as Elvis Presley’s scarf and the eardrum of a whale.”
No matter what you want to preserve and display, Side Street will create a beautiful custom frame. While you’re there, you’ll have fun browsing.
Side Street Framers & Gift Gallery: 558 Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park; 410-544-9050; www.sidestreetframers.com
Sisk Auto Body
All in the family
Doug Sisk, back right, started his family business with wife Terri, bottom right. Now their daughters Muffy and Barbara, bottom left and center, run the show.
Doug Sisk grew up hanging out in his best friend’s parents’ auto body shop. While holding down a day job, he spent evenings and weekends working on cars for his friends and their mothers.
“Young guys like cars,” he says. “I remember one of the first cars I fixed. The workmanship was good, but,” — he shakes his head — “it didn’t shine. Everything else was perfect. You learn from mistakes.”
Doug’s parents ran their own small business, Sisk Mailing Service, which inspired him. His father warned him that running a business wouldn’t be easy, citing national small business failure rates. “But he instilled a work ethic in me,” Doug says. “You have to stick with it. You have to be there.”
When Doug and wife Terri opened Sisk Auto Body in 1981, they stuck with it.
Terri’s plans to stay home with their children ended when the new business needed four hands rather than two. “I was hanging sheetrock and building a spray booth when I was pregnant with Muffy,” she says.
Their devotion to the business was not always appreciated by their children, Barbara Chase and Muffy Revel.
“When you’re working, time gets away from you,” says now-adult Muffy, remembering the times she spent waiting at the Dash-In across Route 260 when her mother forget to pick her up after school. “I still don’t like going to Dash-In because I was traumatized when she didn’t show up.”
Experiences like that have not stopped Doug and Terri’s children from following in their footsteps.
Neither Barbara nor Muffy longed to spend life in a body shop. But one step led to another, and before they knew it, they’d joined the family business.
Now 35 years later, the tables have turned, and the second Sisk generation is in charge, with Barbara raising her children in the shop much of the time just like her mother did.
“Doug and I have retired, so the girls completely run the business, and they do a wonderful job,” Terri says. “Doug and I help out with our beautiful granddaughters.”
Sisk Auto Body: 167 Thomas Ave., Owings; 301-855-5525; www.siskautobody.com
Doug Sisk, back right, started his family business with wife Terri, bottom right. Now their daughters Muffy and Barbara, bottom left and center, run the show.
Doug Sisk, back right, started his family business with wife Terri, bottom right. Now their daughters Muffy and Barbara, bottom left and center, run the show.
Sola Salons of Annapolis / Edgewater
Offering salon professionals freedom to live the life you love
Sola Salon Studios provides salon professionals with premium, fully equipped salon spaces to own and operate their individual boutique salons. “Sola offers the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without many of the risks associated with owning a traditional salon,” says Lindsay Barry, operations manager.
Sola Salon’s newest space in Edgewater at the Villages in South River Colony is now home to over a dozen professionals offering their expertise in hair, waxing, tanning, skin care, makeup and more.
Sola provides a turnkey environment for experienced stylists, estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists and make-up artists.
“We are proud to introduce the Sola Salon Studio L.I.F.E. advantage,” says Barry. “In short, you enjoy the ability to provide a loving environment for you and your clients, express your individualism in your talent, experience the fredom to operate your business as you want and know that you have the opportunity to continue your education as you deem necessary.”
Sola is committed to helping all salon entrepreneurs, regardless if you will be starting your business within their high-end facility or simply moving your existing business to Sola Salon Studios; they provide two weeks’ free rent, $400 worth of product and will pay for costs associated with painting your studio.
Sola Salon: 121 Mitchells Chance Rd., Edgewater;
410-394-9370; www.solasalonstudios.com
Then … & Again Antiques
For the (bargain) treasure hunter
Welcome to Then … & Again Antiques, where Carmelia and Elvis, the resident Chihuahuas, greet you upon entering. Owner Beverly Boykin encourages you to wind your way through the rows of merchandise. But keep track of where you have turned lest you lose yourself among the aisles of treasure.
“I love the people and the stories that come with some of the merchandise,” Boykin says.
With 5,000 square feet of goods ranging from jewelry to vintage clothing, furniture to coins and maps to war memorabilia, Then … & Again Antiques is a bargain hunter’s paradise. Boykin knows what treasure hunters want — clean, unique, quality products at reasonable prices — because she was one herself. Over 35 dealers keep the “new” stock coming in on a daily basis.
Growing up with Depression-era parents, Boykin’s home was filled with antiques. When her elderly father fell ill, the one thing he enjoyed was attending estate and yard sales. Boykin accompanied him on these treasure hunts and accumulated a bevy of great finds.
She soon learned that quality at good prices could be found in the merchandise lining the walls of antique and second-hand stores. She found so many treasures that she didn’t have room for them in her house. Encouraged by success selling these antiques from a booth at Featherstone Mall, Boykin took a gamble and opened Then … & Again in 2007.
Now Boykin enjoys collecting ever more new-old items with storied pasts ready for you to bring home. Recent additions are 500 comic books from the late 1950s to 1970s … a phone booth from the 1940s … an authentic Tiffany lamp … a railroad light … a huge grain bin lined for use as a laundry hamper … and an 1867 Colton map of the Southern States Lost Cause.
These conversation pieces will go fast. Don’t let someone steal your treasure, Boykin advises.
Then … & Again Antiques: 2009 West St., Annapolis; 410-573-0313
Thursday’s
Good times, good food
Thursday’s Bar & Grill and Thursday’s Steak & Crab House are locally owned and operated by Dave and Angela Hysan.
Each week has only one Thursday, but Chesapeake Country has two: Thursday’s Steak and Crab House on the water in Galesville and Thursday’s Bar and Grill, on Rt. 260 at the gateway to Calvert County’s Twin Beaches. Both Thursday’s mean good times and good food.
Thursday’s Bar and Grill has been a Calvert County gathering spot for 18 years, in the Paris Oaks Shopping Center for the last four. Locals gather for the long happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 7pm. The sports bar plays every NFL game, pleasing both Redskins and Ravens fans. Crabs are standard summer fare, replaced by local oysters as the weather cools.
Thursday’s Steak and Crab House opened in 2004. Situated over the water in Galesville, it offers both indoor and outdoor eating, accommodating more than 100 people on the deck. With 24 slips reserved for customers — and two floating docks for jet skiers and kayakers — it’s a favorite spot for boaters. Happy hour at the Tiki Bar runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 7pm.
Staff at both locations are local, knowledgeable and friendly, knowing customers by their first names. They’re also loyal and upwardly mobile. Mitch LeFevre started at Thursdays Bar as a 16-year-old dishwasher. He worked his way up to lead line cook, then a manager. Six years ago he was promoted to general manager; now he shares ownership. Joey Curtin has recently moved from kitchen to management. At the Galesville location, Monique Morgan has come out from behind the bar to join the management team.
Owner Dave Hysan decided in college that he didn’t want a 9-to-5 sit-down job. He was intrigued by the excitement of the restaurant business. Now, more than 30 years later, he’s still doing what he loves.
“Every day is different,” Hysan says. “Customers change, but daily challenges are the same.”
Both Thursday’s are open every day of the week, year round, for lunch and dinner.
Thursday’s Bar and Grill: 1751 Horace Ward Rd., Owings; 410-286-8800
Thursday’s Steak and Crab House: 4851 Riverside Dr., Galesville; 410-867-7200
Thursday’s Bar & Grill and Thursday’s Steak & Crab House are locally owned and operated by Dave and Angela Hysan.
Thursday’s Bar & Grill and Thursday’s Steak & Crab House are locally owned and operated by Dave and Angela Hysan.
Turn Around Consignments
Reusing and recycling has never been such fun
Shopping to save the environment? Yes! By shopping at a local consignment store, you are reusing clothes. You can also recycle your own old clothes, cleaning out your closet to fit in new finds.
Owner Diane Karkosh sells clothes from seasons past and present so you can find good-for-work clothes, everyday clothes, a flashy outfit for date night or a vintage look.
A part of the community for two decades, Turn Around Consignments moved two years ago to a larger location to hold more inventory. Look for some great deals at the $1 rack and in the shop’s 50-percent-off sales events.
With an ever-changing inventory, you have to stop by Turn Around Consignments often for the best finds. Should you be chided that your shopping habits are getting out of hand, reply that you are helping the environment.
Turn Around Consignments: 5735 Deale-Churchton Rd., Deale; 410-867-8676
Umai Sushi House
An American success story with Korean and Japanese flavors
Umai Sushi House is a success story.
It’s a success for Korean-born owner Chang Hee Park, who saw opportunity rather than obstacles as an immigrant to the United States. Now she’s the proprietor of a thriving restaurant that combines authentic Korean and Japanese cuisine with Chesapeake charm.
Friendliness comes natural to Chang. She greets you with a big smile, often an embrace, gathers you in, serves you a hot treat. Walls display local children’s drawings alongside Japanese waves and fishes.
Beauty is a drive for Chang. “I formerly ran a restaurant in Washington but sought beautiful surroundings near water with plenty of space for flowers,” she says. She’s made a garden in the center of Deale, filling the asphalt parking lot that fronts her restaurant with flowering trees and vines taller than she is. Eating outside under an umbrella in this garden patio is a pleasure.
“For many years, people hungry for Korean or Japanese dishes had to go to Annapolis, Bowie or Prince Frederick,” Chang says. “In 2011, I filled the gap with Deale Umai Sushi House.”
Korean is a rarity here, with no competition within 40-plus miles. Umai satisfies that appetite with such dishes as Bulgogi, marinated beef and vegetable stew; Jap Chae, a beef and vegetables with sweet-potato noodles; and vegetarian Bibimbap, rice with a sunny-side-up egg and Korean vegetables.
On the Japanese side are sushi, sashimi and rolls, tempura, teriyaki and bento boxes.
Whatever you choose will be umai: that’s Japanese for delicious.
Barry Morrissey and Shelly Daniels feel lucky they can spend their days doing what they love, selling eclectic and unconventional home decor, art and furnishings. Their Deale shop Vintage Stew celebrated three years on June 1.
They hunt auction houses as far away as Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and western Maryland. They research the background of each item they find for material, artist, year made and country of origin.
“It is interesting, and we learn new facts every day,” says Morrissey.
Inventory changes week to week, and you will not find high prices among the harvest of avant-garde pieces.
“We have great merchandise for a fair price. We are not in Georgetown, and we do not charge Georgetown prices,” Morrissey says.
Vintage Stew can also help customers appraise art, downsize their homes and alleviate some of the hassle of handling a parent’s estate.
“We have a friendly and welcoming shop and invite all to browse our inventory and touch stuff,” Daniels says.
Vintage Stew is open only Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The other days of the week Morrissey and Daniels are on the road looking for the “rare, unusual, quirky and cool.”
Connecting art with frames, artists with opportunity
At Wimsey Cove, owner Elizabeth Ramirez knows what you need. With her artist’s eye and quick insight into character, she envisions how the treasures you bring her for framing will look their best in your home.
When Ramirez earned her Bachelor of Arts in painting, she wondered what to do with “her starving artist degree.” Because she loved art and helping other artists, she took a job at Michael’s arts and crafts store in the framing section.
Now she has made framing her art.
Wimsey Cove started on the porch of her grandmother’s home on Weem’s Creek, named Wimsey Cove. In 2007, Ramirez opened her own store naming it Wimsey Cove.
She enjoys the novelty of her work, currently framing pieces of a horse bridle dating back to World War II.
Building relationships is Ramirez’s parallel satisfaction as a business owner. She’s a connector, drawing everybody she meets into a community of artists.
Her connections also serve her six local organizations on whose boards she serves. When artists are needed for a show or a contractor is needed to fix a wall, Ramirez knows the right person for the job. As president of the Annapolis Arts Alliance, co-vice president of the Creative and Performing Arts of South County, secretary of the Four Rivers board, Reflections Chair of the Anne Arundel County Council PTA and a board member of the Muddy Creek Artists Guild and the Arts Advisory Board for the Arundel Lodge, Ramirez enjoys connecting people with opportunity.
A new feature at Wimsey Cove is scanning and printing of images up to 44 inches. The shop has all types of paper to print on, and Ramirez will recommend which to use. Wimsey Cove also offers canvas gallery wraps and canvas museum wraps, along with many other options to protect your piece once it’s printed.
This fall, attend one of the Wimsey Cove’s many events such as high-quality reproductions of historic maps, historic charts and shipwreck maps of Chesapeake Bay and many other locations. September 17: Art in Action, Annapolis, noon-5pm; September 18: Maryland Ave. Fall Festival, 10am-5pm; September 25: West Annapolis Oktoberfest, 10am-5pm; October 2: First Sunday Arts Festival, 11am-5pm; October 16: Salem Avery Museum Oyster Festival, Shady Side, 10am-5pm; October 29: St. Michaels Oyster Festival, 10am-4pm; October 29-30: Ocean City Arts & Craft Show.
Wimsey Cove Framing and Art: 3141 Solomon’s Island Rd., Edgewater; 410-956-7278; www.marylandframing.com
