Bay Weekly: Dock of the Bay

Dock of the Bay

Happy Birthday, Howard
Maryland momentum goes to Dean for president

Democratic presidential aspirant Howard Dean celebrated his 57th birthday Nov. 18 with a nice birthday card from Maryland. Sixty-eight elected Democrats — from Brian Frosh, the senator honored last week by League of Conservation voters as Maryland’s environmental leader of the year, to Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer to Eastport Alderman Josh Cohen — signed his card, promising to support him above all other Democrats in the contest to beat President George W. Bush.

That’s as good as money in the bank for the former five-term governor of Vermont, whose first challenge is beating out fellow New Englander and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in New Hampshire, which holds the nation’s second presidential primary January 27.

That’s after one of the seven contenders — likely Midwesterner Dick Gephardt — makes hay in Iowa, which speaks its mind in caucuses January 19.

Maryland’s March 2 primary is not of the king-making scale of those, but it sure will do somebody good next spring. This month’s early endorsements make Dean the man with momentum.

This shove in the right direction testifies to one of the oldest truths of politics — and points to one of the newest.

At the tried-and-true end of the spectrum, Dean’s push reaffirms that all politics is local. Over the year of Dean’s candidacy, supporters lobbied many of the 68 for their endorsement. Ones who weren’t already for Dean got a lesson in why they should be.

“I got calls from a number of supporters. They put stuff in front of me so I could look at his positions, and they asked me for my endorsement,” said Frosh.

The Montgomery County senator liked Dean’s stand. On the environment, said Frosh, “Nutrient loading is probably the most critical problem in the Bay, and I know Dean is willing to address it from point and non-point sources as well as from air pollution. He’s right on the money, which is in stark contrast to the Bush administration.”

Frosh also likes the aggressiveness of Dean’s campaign. “I’ve gotten no outreach from other candidates,” said he.

The Dean connection was also personal for former Anne Arundel County delegate Richard D’Amato, who was among the early endorsers.

“My first job in politics was with Sen. Jim Jeffords from Vermont, and Dean is from Vermont,” said D’Amato, who noted that with four visits in less than a year, Dean had “devoted commendable attention to Maryland.”

At the innovative end of the spectrum, Dean’s working the World Wide Web to gain early support among Maryland’s most active Democrats.

“Howard Dean is sold to people via word of mouth — which is not necessarily people talking to each other,” said Dean’s Maryland spokesman David Paulson.

On the Web, on-line forums overflow into newly forged “Meet-Up groups” of real people. Twenty in Maryland are linked by Web to similar groups across the country, each meeting at 7pm on the first Wednesday of every month to listen to Dean DVDs and to follow campaign instructions to help Dean to what Paulson calls “good big early victories.”

Annapolis Alderman Josh Cohen, another of the early endorsers, will tell you Dean’s strategy is working. “I’ve seen very little on other candidates, but with Internet and his very strong grass-roots organizing campaign, Dean is leading the field in total dollars and small contributors.”

—SOM

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From Heart to Table
Sharing the feast of thanks

We all crave those long holiday weekends to savor with our families and friends. Perhaps hitting the road or hopping on a plane and heading south for a few days. Even staying close to home and catching up on movies, books, sleep and shopping.

But many Chesapeake Country neighbors put their own cravings aside to make Thanksgiving a special day by helping others.

We Care & Friends’ annual Thanksgiving dinner at Annapolis’ Stanton Community Center will feed a few thousand hungry neighbors from 4 to 10pm on Monday, Nov. 24. Last year, some 2,700 people ate their fill of the hearty meal, which is donated by nearly every restaurant in Annapolis and Eastport. The Annapolis Yacht Club concocts pounds of stuffing each year, and Adam’s Ribs cooks and delivers 10 to 15 hams as well as roast beef.

Annapolis’ We Care & Friends fed more than 2,000 people last Thanksgiving.

You need only show up at the door to be served. If you’re looking to give rather than receive, the dinner still needs servers, ushers and greeters plus water, juices, sodas and desserts. Call ahead to donate or to volunteer: 410/295-5223.

Lusby’s SMILE, Inc. (Service Makes Individuals’ Lives Exciting) is a coalition of nine Southern Maryland churches reaching out to people in need. In Solomons, SMILE partners up with Lighthouse Inn Restaurant to serve their 13th annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner Nov. 27, from noon-3:30pm. Served up will be all the staples of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin pie and many more goodies. Live music and Lighthouse’s water views complete the festive atmosphere.

The Lighthouse Inn in Solomons hosts a Thanksgiving feast with a coalition of nine Southern Maryland churches.

Lighthouse Inn’s Jennifer Jordan expects to feed as many as 650 people. To be served a dinner, just show up; if you need a lift or home delivery, call by Nov. 25 to make arrangements: 410/326-2444.

One contingent will come from St. Mary’s, bussed in by Dwight Bishop, who owns Bishops Bus Service and has been making this Thanksgiving trip for a decade. This dinner overflows with loyal volunteers like Dwight.

Another SMILE dinner is planned for Christmas Day from noon-3pm, when Santa drops in with gifts. Christmas dinner is served at American Legion Post 274 in Lusby. Drop in to dine or call ahead to volunteer: Lottie Danielson at 410/326-0009.

Cedar Grove UMC in Deale hosts Chesapeake Country’s newest Thanksgiving feast for neighbors who are unable to be with friends or family or unlikely to enjoy a good holiday meal otherwise. Community Thanksgiving Luncheon is served Thursday, Nov. 27 from 1-3pm, and offers up all the good stuff to eat like pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, turkey and cranberry sauce. No reservations needed. If you’re unable to travel, meals will be delivered to your home. Anyone needing transportation or home delivery, rsvp by Wednesday, Nov. 26. At the church: 410/867-7417 or Janet Manifold: 410/867-2204.

In Southern Anne Arundel County, community churches are not only setting the table but filling take-home food baskets for Thanksgiving. St. James Parish is the busiest of all, stocking the tables of 50 area families on a first-come-first-served basis. Any families one church can’t feed will be referred to another that can — including Cedar Grove UMC in Deale. Deadline for baskets, Nov. 21: 410/867-7417. Centenary UMC in Shady Side has filled its orders but will assist anyone in need. Deadline for baskets Nov. 22: 410/867-4923.

St. James signed up 50 families the first week of November. “The calls have just grown,” says St. James’ food basket coordinator Linda Dennis, who has emptied shelves packing food baskets for needy families. St. James is now referring people to other churches.

St. James is also home to the South County Assistance Network food pantry. The network, a four-year-old collaboration of area churches, is always accepting donations of food and winter clothes, which can be dropped off daily at the door. For more information, call Linda Dennis at 410/867-3566. Starting Dec. 1, St. James is taking requests for Christmas food baskets.

The Christian Assistance Program — a network of churches in Odenton, Severn and Gambrills — gathers names from social services and delivers baskets brimming with all the trimmings for a wonderful holiday meal. Each family receives its goods on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, allowing them ample time to prepare their food. Food and clothing is provided year round for more than 5,000 people in the community. Donations are always welcome: Deacon David Page: 410/551-9238

Anne Arundel Food Bank, in Crownsville, is not putting together any packages or dinners of its own, but it does use its food supply to fill the holes in local pantry food chains. This year, the Food Bank has organized a Harvest for the Hungry drive, placing collection boxes in local schools and businesses as gathering points for donations. The Food Bank also accepts donations of furniture, appliances and cars, all of which it gives away or otherwise translates into food for the hungry. They are also glad for cash donations to pay their expenses: Bruce Michalec at 410/923-4255 x 107.

In a Navy tradition, volunteers will be baking up fresh, hot pies for Annapolis Naval Station active-duty sailors and Marines who are unable to take leave for the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year, some 45 sailors and marines were handed pies. The deadline for bakers to deliver homemade pies is the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Due to increased security nationwide, only Department of Defense card holders are allowed to deliver pies to the base. You can help out by donating to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, which benefits those servicemen and their families in need of financial assistance: Fleet and Family Service Center at 410/293-2641.

— Kimberly Goode

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Mime Over Matter
Friends come to Mimi’s rescue

“I fell on asphalt, but landed on a cushion of love,” said Mimi the Mime, aka Cybele Pomeroy.

Mimi, a Maryland Renaissance Festival mainstay, felt asphalt last month, upon falling from an eight-foot wall during a performance at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival [A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” Vol. XI, No. 45: Nov. 6]. Cybele Pomeroy, the actress and playwright behind the make-up, suffered a broken right wrist and elbow, a broken left tibia and fibula — with no health insurance or prospects for employment.

She landed on a cushion of love at a benefit staged by friends last week to raise money to help pay her medical bills and survive in tough times.

A showing of more than 100 friends both old and new at a recent fundraiser helped put the smile back on the face of fallen mime Mimi.

“It’s not just about the money,” said friend and benefit organizer C.J. Crowe. “It’s about the emotion.”

More than 100 supporters turned out for the event at Carrol’s Creek Cafe in Eastport. “Friends I had for years came,” said Pomeroy, “as well as strangers who I now consider friends.”

People crowded around wheelchair-bound Pomeroy, talking and signing her cast.

“Cybele has been down because she’s stuck in the house,” said Crowe. “She is usually so active. Getting out and seeing all these people who care for her meant so much.”

Between the silent auction of items donated by local artists and donations that poured in, close to $8,000 was raised. The money collected will cover bills and put food on the table, but it won’t make up for the lack of income over many months without work.

There are still rough days ahead, with much rehab and little work, but Pomeroy believes the darkest hours are past.

Doctors have predicted she will be back to 100 percent by next year. For now, she is out of her wheelchair for most of the day, and the cast that ran to her shoulder has been cut down to her elbow.

“This could have been devastating,” Pomeroy told Bay Weekly. “But because of all my friends, it’s been a blessing.”

— Louis Llovio

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Best in Show
Among nation’s marinas, Port Annapolis takes the prize

Chesapeake Country claims yet another prize to add to its maritime trophy collection. Port Annapolis Marina, located on Bembe Beach Road in Annapolis, has won the Marina Dock Age Magazine’s 2003 Marina of the Year award.

Port Annapolis’ award marks the third time a marina on Chesapeake Bay has won this prize coveted by marinas across the country. In 1996, Herrington Harbour Marinas won the award, and in 1998, Haven Harbor in Rockhall on the Eastern Shore claimed the top prize.

photo by Betsy Kulle, DNR
Art Birney; Susan Zellers, of the Maryland Marine Trades Association; Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer; Chesapeake Bay Foundation president Will Baker; Port Annapolis Marina manager Scott Tinkler; Preston Publications president Tinsley Preston; Port Annapolis Marina co-owner, Jim White; Donna Morrow of DNR’s Clean Marina Program and Port Annapolis Marina co-owner William Butler.

“This is very exciting,” said Scott Tinkler, who has worked at Port Annapolis for 28 years and became general manager in 2000.

The marina offers 300 slips on eight piers for boats of all shapes and sizes. On the property, live-aboards and weekend travelers alike can take advantage of the ship’s store, two pump-out stations, a swimming pool and laundry.

Judging is based on excellence in best-business practices; regulatory compliance above and beyond the call of duty; close attention to customer service; profitability; training; community involvement; and dedication to the recreational marine industry.

“This year we selected two really exceptional marinas, because the judges couldn’t decide between the two,” said Tinsley Preston, owner of Preston Publications out of Chicago, which has run this competition for 10 years.

This year’s other winning marina is Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach, Florida.

Port Annapolis Marina scored environmental points for being named Maryland’s first “clean marina,” back in 1997, by the state Department of Natural Resources. The title means that Port Annapolis was the first to satisfy DNR’s standards for how it keeps pollutants — from storm water to sewage to petroleum — out of Chesapeake Bay.

For customer service, Port Annapolis scored points on its new pavilion for families and parties and a new office building that offers more services to boaters. Amenities range from Wet Dog Cafe for hungry boaters to Madden Mast and Rigging for repairs.

Port Annapolis’s location on Back Creek saved many a repair in the time of Hurricane Isabel.

The damage from Isabel was next to nothing, Said Tinkler: “There were some planks that had come off, and we were up all night loosening lines and re-tying them, but we received almost no damage.”

Now, he says Port Annapolis faces a more welcome test.

“It is going to be a challenge to continue to be the best. We need to raise the bar in all aspects to stay on top,” said Tinkler.

—James Clemenko

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Way Downstream…

On the Eastern Shore, the first statewide monument honoring watermen is being dedicated on Saturday morning at 11am in Grasonville. The bronze sculpture, designed by artist Tilghman Hemsley, depicts two stout watermen hoisting their catch of striped bass …

In Florida, Biscayne National Park this weekend will celebrate its 35th anniversary by honoring three of its founders — among them Anne Arundel countian Joe Browder, of Fairhaven, a former Floridian and long-time champion of the Everglades and Florida conservation efforts …

In Santa Monica, here’s hoping for rain since toilets in the newly dedicated Robert Redford Building flush with rainwater collected on the roof. The floors are made of fast-growing bamboo, and the carpets of hemp, in what was described as one of the most environmental friendly buildings in America. At the dedication, Redford delivered a downbeat appraisal of political goings-on: “There’s never been a time in my life when I’ve felt so challenged as a country, so challenged on the environment, as we are now”…

Our Creature Feature is a breaking story of a real-life crocodile hunter from Australia summoned to a waterway amid the skyscrapers of Hong Kong to catch a big crocodile menacing the city. The hunter’s name is John Lever, and he is known for finding giant crocs with his toes — and then catching them with his bare hands.

When Lever got off the airplane this week, he told Hong Kong authorities that he needed three things to do the job: chicken heads, a bamboo pole, and a boat. “One of this size can go underwater and stay underwater for three-quarters of an hour,” the croc hunter told reporters. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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