“Eastern Shore Heritage, Inc. (ESHI), the managing entity for the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area,is hosting two workshops on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, MD. The first, a workshop for organizations needing help in preparing the applications for this year’s rounds of heritage tourism grants, will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Room HEC110 in the College’s Higher Education Center building. Nonprofit groups and governmental agencies may apply for up to $2,500 in matching “”small grants,”” limited to non-capital projects within Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties. Eligible non-capital projects include planning, design, interpretation, events, and programming. The application deadline for this year is November 19, 2008.

Project leaders considering competing for larger statewide grants through the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area are also encouraged to attend. Eligible capital projects include acquisition, development, rehabilitation, restoration, architectural and engineering costs, and new construction (under very restrictive conditions). Letters of inquiry for non-capital grants of up to $50,000 and capital grants up to $100,000 are due January 15, 2009. For more information, log on to http://www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/haprojgr.doc.

A second workshop on the same day, to be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in Room EDC27 in the College’s Performing Arts Center building, is to determine the demand for the establishment of a collaborative oral history program among members of Eastern Shore Heritage, Inc. Participants are encouraged to enjoy lunch at the College’s cafeteria between workshops. For further information or to register for one or both workshops, contact Elizabeth Watson at ewatson@storiesofthechesapeake.org or 410-778-1460.”