On Earth Day April 22, members of the Kent Island Garden Club honored one of its own, Genie Fitzgerald, by planting a swamp white oak at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center. Ms. Fitzgerald was named the recipient of the Perennial Bloom award for 2021.
The Perennial Bloom Award recognizes long time club members who have made the club bloom with their continuous support of the club’s and National Garden Clubs’ goals and objectives.
In addition to the activity honoring Ms. Fitzgerald, KIGC members worked at several of their garden projects.
Visit the club members at the Cray House on Kent Island Day May 21st 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The members will be selling plants and gently used garden items.
For more information go to www.fgocmd.org

The County Commissioners have scheduled three public hearings to inform residents about the proposed Fiscal Year 2023 County budget.  Residents can attend any of the identical public hearings which will be held in Stevensville, Centreville and Sudlersville. 

• Board of Education Administrative Building Project
• Board of Education High School Roofing Project
• Board of Education Athletic Field Tracks Rehabilitation
• Board of Education Historic Preservation Centreville High & Crumpton Elementary
• Health Department Community Health Outreach Services  
• Workforce Recruitment & Retention
• Library Service Expansion
• Blue Heron Golf Course Rehabilitation of Front Nine Greens
• Information Technology Infrastructure & Broadband
• Addition of EMS Crew to provide enhanced services to South County Regions
• Bay Bridge Airport Runway Rehabilitation
• Kent Narrows Dredging
• Detention Center Renovation and Expansion
• Snow Removal Operational Improvements – Salt Brining and GPS technologies
• Southern Kent Island Sewer System Phases II and III
• Kent Narrows Landscaping and Grounds Beautification
• Roads, Public Landings and Utility Systems Preservation

Haven Ministries is addressing the urgent need for affordable housing in Queen Anne’s County this spring with the opening of two new single-family homes located in Stevensville.  What has been 20 years in the making, the “Homes of Hope” will provide real hope to those participating in Haven Ministries Housing Assistance Program.

Built in the middle of the pandemic, these two 1700-square-foot single-family homes were completed because of generous donations from local businesses of materials and services totaling over $150,000.

“Even though we were living in uncertain times, people in our community stepped up to donate so that someone less fortunate could have shelter – one of our basic human needs. People like Jim Moran, owner of Increte of Maryland, Inc. and Brad Lundberg, President of Lundberg Builders and 314 Design Studio, helped to coordinate the supplier donations on the project. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the giving these two men solicited,” comments Krista Pettit, Executive Director of Haven Ministries.

Jim Moran, also a project donor and a Queen Anne’s County Commissioner At-Large, states, “This project has been a long time coming. I got involved eight years ago and have been donating ever since. These homes have been funded through donations, a $150,000 grant from Queen Anne’s County, as well as state funding. Haven Ministries does a tremendous job and has built this organization from nothing into a model program.”

Moran was raised in Bowie, Maryland and his parents instilled in him charity as a child. His military experience overseas also exposed him to those less fortunate and has been a motivator for his philanthropy as well.

“I learned early through my faith about charity. The quote, ‘The measure of a community is how they care for the least of the community,’ has always resonated with me. I have been blessed to have a successful company and a loving family. We can always do more.”

Through the Homes of Hope, Haven Ministries will be able to provide clients with affordable housing while leading them to a permanent housing solution. While participating in the Housing Assistance Program, participants will work closely with a Haven Ministries case manager to ensure that they are positioned for success to secure safe and stable long-term housing once their respective program period is over, usually within two years.

Individuals and families who live in Queen Anne’s County can apply for the program, must pass the background checks, pay a program fee, and voluntarily agree to work with a case manager. Haven Ministries will connect participants to area resources such as education, jobs, and job training, allowing individuals and families to stabilize, build up their resources, and successfully move on toward safe and affordable housing.

Housing instability can include trouble paying rent or a mortgage, moving frequently due to the lack of affordable housing, or spending a majority of household income on housing. The construction for Homes of Hope and the Housing Assistance Program are being funded by private donations and grants, including those from foundations made directly to Haven Ministries, and through major fundraising activities. A program fee will also be collected from the Housing Assistance Program clients approved for the program.

Haven Ministries will continue to operate its seasonal shelter at Kent Island Methodist Church in Stevensville to offer emergency overnight safe and warm accommodations for individuals and families that do not have a dedicated location in which to sleep. Although both of these programs are important programs, they each serve a different population of community members with different needs.

Moran concludes, “I used my contacts in the industry to help fund this project. No one said ‘no’ when they were asked to contribute. Each of the following sponsors sees the value of helping others.”

“This project has been a community project from the start. Several things have been donated from the initial demolition to Delmarva Power donating their labor for electricity hook-up to the local plumbers and electricians donating their labor and materials – the generosity has been overwhelming,” adds Lundberg.

Sponsors for Haven Ministries Homes of Hope were 314 Design Studio, ABC Supply Co Inc., A Plus Sanitation, Absolute Fire Protection, Inc., Annapolis Exteriors, . Bill Thomas, C2 Foam, Capital Electric, Chesapeake Environmental Labs, Inc., Choice Stairways, Matt Cole with Cole Ventures, Delmarva Power, Dress Your Windows, Economy Pest Control, Inc., ED Supply, Ernest Maier Companies, Ferguson, F.A. Hobson Landscaping, Inc., Friel Lumber, Increte of Maryland, Inc., Island Floors, Jack Wilson, Jr. Electrical Services, JTW Building Services LLC, KI True Value, Lane Engineering, Lifetime Well Drilling, Lindy J Jones Plumbing and Heating Contractors, Lowes, Lundberg Builders, O’Berry Engineering, Inc., Palmer’s Plumbing, Patuxent Materials, Patuxent Roll-Off, R.B. Bakers, R and D Electric, Puckett’s Heating and  Air Conditioning, Rental Works, Torchio Architects, Universal Supply Co., W Scot Jones Mechanical Contractor, and White’s Custom Concepts.

Special thanks goes to the following organizations who contributed funding: Queen Anne’s County Commissioners, Weinberg Foundation, Salmon Foundation, Bank of America Foundation, May Foundation, Trust Foundation of Maryland, Legislative Bond Grant, Keller Giving, Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Grant, Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and many individual donors.

For further information about donating to this important project, visit haven-ministries.org. For information about applications for the Homes of Hope, call 410-739-7859.

A 1957 Corvette recognized as one of the very best C1 Corvettes in the United States will be a highlight of the 6th Annual Chesapeake Bay Motoring Festival taking place this June 4 & 5 at the Kent Island Yacht Club. The award-winning Corvette is owned by William Lightfoot of Vienna, Va., and recently earned high points as a National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) Top Flight award winner.

Other classics on display will include a 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo, a 1983 Ferrari, and a porcelain white 1971 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Luxury Saloon that was first owned by popular American singer and entertainer Perry Como and his wife Roselle.

Not-to-miss on the water will be an 80’ USNA Yard Patrol vessel that has been converted to a yacht, and the U.S. Army Air Force P-520 World War II and Korean War Crash boat that once helped rescue pilots in the Pacific and Korea. A 1947 and 1963 Chris Craft are also registered, among other classics.

Advanced ticket holders can enjoy all the amenities of the Kent Island Yacht Club throughout the weekend, including an outdoor pool. Limited, free day-docking is available for small boats wishing to bring guests by water.

On Saturday, June 4, the event’s traditional Cars and Coffee event begin at 8:00 a.m. for entrants and ticket holders, and at 9:30 a.m. pre-registered motoring entrants depart by police escort in a motoring tour to several historic colonial sites, culminating in a private gourmet lunch.

On Sunday during the 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Car & Boat Show, food and libations from the Kent Island Yacht Club will be available for purchase, along with live music, market tents, and a unique awards ceremony—including a People’s Choice Award—wrapping up the day’s festivities.

Singer-songwriter Jayme D. will be performing from the Kent Island Yacht Club’s waterfront Tiki Bar from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. People’s Choice ballots will be due before the 1:30 p.m. awards ceremony, when automobile and boat registrants receive champagne prizes for the festival’s other cheeky awards, with winners deemed in categories like “best car to take your momma to church,” or “car most inclined to stop for gas,” for example.

The Chesapeake Bay Motoring Festival is presented by the St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance and sponsored by Bentley, the Antique & Classic Boat Society, and the Classic Yacht Club of America. Children under 12 get in free with an adult ticket, with online early-bird discounted tickets available through May 24 only and more at www.chesapeakebaymotoringfestival.org.

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health celebrated April as National Donate Life Month, honoring organ donors and bringing awareness to saving or enhancing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. On April 22, UM SRH team members wore blue and green in honor of National Donate Life Blue and Green Day, which encourages the sharing of the Donate Life message and promotes the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
“Thanks to the generosity of donors and their families, and the dedication of health care and transplant professionals, many lives were saved through donation and transplantation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris Wright, Hospital Services Coordinator for The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland and UM Shore Regional Health. “Those families who have experienced organ donation from the giving side are comforted in knowing that, even in death, their loved one is helping others.”
Created by Donate Life America in 2003, Donate Life Month is observed annually to honor organ donors and their families’ choice to save lives. In 2021, more than 41,000 lives were saved in the United States through organ donation, and of these, more than 34,000 were saved thanks to deceased donors.
The Donor Council of UM Shore Regional Health and The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland regularly educate the community about organ donation through information sessions about the donation process as well as awareness tables on our hospital campuses.
About 95 percent of adults in the U.S. support organ donation, but only slightly more than 50 percent are registered donors. Educating hospital staff about the process supports organ donation registration by enabling them to educate the public and encourage discussion among family members about options for their end-of-life wishes. Maryland registered more than 220,000 new organ donors in 2021.
To register as an organ donor, visit the Maryland Vehicle Administration while obtaining or renewing a driver’s license or state ID, or visit The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland online at www.thellf.org .

CENTREVILLE —Grief reactions are often intricate and complex. When you add that your loved one died from an overdose, accidental or not, or death by suicide, it complicates matters. There are myriad emotions that occur when someone dies, but when the death is from an overdose or suicide, the most difficult ones rise to the surface. If you have experienced the death of a loved one from an overdose or substance abuse or suicide your reactions may be unlike anything you have ever experienced. Your feelings and reactions are common in what feels like an abnormal situation or uncharted waters.
If you have experienced these or continue to experience these, please know that the intensity and duration changes over time. Often, understanding the grief process can help you navigate these unchartered waters. We would like to invite you to join us for a Grief 101 Workshop, that focuses on the unique grief that surrounds the death of someone who has passed due to a substance overdose or suicide. Compass is offering two opportunities to participate:
Location: Kent County Community Center
Address: 11041 Worton Rd.
Date: Tuesday, May 24th
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Register by May 20th

Location: The Barnett Center (Compass)
Address: 255 Comet Drive, Centreville, Md 21623
Date: Thursday, June 2nd
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Register by May 27th

For more information or to register please reach to Rhonda Knotts at rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org or 443.262.4120.

Compass
Since 1985, Compass has been allowing patients to spend their final months the way they choose, guiding loved ones after a life-limiting diagnosis, and showing individuals healthy ways to manage their grief. Today, the organization is a regional provider of hospice care, supportive care, and grief services in Caroline, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties. Whether serving their patients in private residences, skilled nursing facilities, or Compass’ residential center in Centreville, staff and volunteers are guided by their mission to ensure that individuals facing end of life can live out their days in a full and meaningful way.
Compass is a fully licensed, independent, community-based nonprofit organization certified by Medicare and the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission. It is affiliated with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland.
Are you interested in setting up a planned gift? Leave a legacy of caring by making a planned gift to Compass. This could in remembering Compass in your will, naming them as a beneficiary in a life insurance policy, charitable gift annuities, and more. To learn more about planned giving opportunities to Compass, please contact Kenda Leager at kleager@compassregionalhospice.org or 443-262-4106. For more information about Compass, call 443-262-4100 or visit compassregionalhospice.org.