SMCC’s Trish Payne announces retirement

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

           Contact:       John Stumpf, President

St. Michaels Community Center

jwstumpf@gmail.com, 410-745-5853

 

(ST. MICHAELS, MD – Oct. 8, 2020)

St. Michaels Community Center Executive Director Trish Payne has recently announced her retirement to the Board of Advisors, with plans to stay on with the nonprofit through December. The Board will name Payne Executive Director Emerita upon her retirement to honor her longstanding role leading the organization.

“It has been a sincere honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to serve my neighbors and friends in the Bay Hundred Community,” said Payne. “I am very grateful to have enjoyed the many valuable partnerships with local businesses and other non-profits that I had the pleasure of working with all these years. Most of all, my most heartfelt appreciation goes out to the incredible family of staff members and everyone that supported and believed in the mission of SMCC. Thanks for the memories.”

“Helping those in need has always been the mission closest to Trish’s heart. Trish has been instrumental in establishing SMCC as the Maryland Food Bank hub during the COVID pandemic beginning this past March,” said SMCC Board Vice President Carolina Barksdale. “With new administrators for the Food Distribution Program in place, Trish now feels that the program is established and she can move ahead with her long-planned retirement.”

“We are extremely grateful for Trish’s leadership and service to the people of St. Michaels and the Bay Hundred region,” said SMCC Board President John Stumpf. “Because of Trish’s dedication and hard work, we can continue to provide much-needed services to the people in our community that need it the most. And because of Trish, SMCC is now in great shape to be under the reigns of our next leader. We’re excited about what the future holds.”

Stumpf says the Board has formed a search committee to identify SMCC’s next Executive Director, and that Payne plans to continue volunteering in the community after her retirement.

Payne is a long-time resident of Talbot County and St. Michaels. She came to SMCC in 2007 following a 28-year career in the financial services industry. Trish also has enjoyed a lifetime of experience in the performing arts as an actor, dancer, singer, director, and a professional clown. She has always been involved and active in the community and continues to thrive on being of service in her hometown and the Bay Hundred area.

The St. Michaels Community Center’s mission is to serve, empower, and connect the community. The Community Center is currently conducting an online needs-assessment survey, with public participation encouraged. The survey is accessible at bit.ly/smccsurvey20. 

The Virtual Chesapeake Film Festival is Almost Here!

 

The Virtual Chesapeake Film Festival is Almost Here!

Thursday, October 1—Sunday, October 4, 2020

 

Announcing the Award-Winning Films to Watch

 

Easton, MD, September 29, 2020 Don’t miss this year’s Chesapeake Film Festival!  The 2020 Virtual Chesapeake Film Festival is coming to you Oct. 1 (9 am EST) – Oct. 4 (12 pm EST), 24/7, wherever you may be.

 

There is NO registration for this FREE event, just go to chesapeakefilmfestival.com and click on the button to enter the festival on October 1.

 

Also, right now, all our trailers are available to you by going to chesapeakefilmfestival.com.

 

The Virtual Festival is our gift to film lovers in our community, and beyond, in the difficult times precipitated by CoVid-19.   While participation is free, donations are appreciated.

 

You can select the films you want to watch, and when and where you choose to enjoy them.   The Virtual Festival benefits our filmmakers, too, with the amazing opportunity to present their films to an audience without borders.

 

Now in our 13th year, the Chesapeake Film Festival invites you once again to savor an explosion of cinematic flavors, including dramas, comedies, documentaries and animations.  From 5-minute shorts to 90-minute features, the Festival offers something for every cinematic taste.

 

Don’t miss out on these CFF 2020 award-winning films:

·      Best Animated Film – Les Animaux Domestiques, Willow

·      Best Comedy –A Piece of Cake

·      Best Director – Stefan Schwarz, About Us

·      Best Documentary Feature – You Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout Groove City

·      Best Drama – Unarmed Man

·      Best Editing – Fort Bliss

·      Best Emerging Filmmaker –Mason Mirabile, Never Too Small and Micaa Thomas, Our House is On Fire

·      Best Environmental Feature – Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air

·      Best Environmental Short – Seeds of Hope

·      Best International Film – Imaginarius

·      Best Made in Maryland Film – Squeegee

·      Best Performance – Actor –Shaun Woodland and Danny Gavigan, Unarmed Man

·      Best Short Film – Wake Up

·      Best Sound Editing – Balloon Man

·      Jury’s Prize – Emanuel

 

Check chesapeakefilmfestival.com for more information. For questions, call Nancy Tabor, Executive Director at 443-955-9144 or contact her at nancy.tabor@icloud.com.

 

The Chesapeake Film Festival is generously supported by the Shared Earth Foundation, Maryland Film Office, Maryland State Arts Council, Talbot County Arts Council, Talbot County Department of Tourism, Artistic Insights Fund, Richard and Beverly Tilghman, Karen and Langley Shook, U.S. Small Business Administration, Talbot CARES Small Business Grant and The Ravenal Foundation. Funding has also been provided to the Chesapeake Film Festival from Maryland Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020.

Community Center seeks Christmas donations

The St. Michaels Community Center is seeking donations of new toys, non-perishables, toiletries, and household goods, which can be dropped off or shipped directly to SMCC at 103 Railroad Ave., St. Michaels, Md., 21663.

Charitable donations can be dropped off at Treasure Cove Thrift Shop at 200 Railroad Ave. Mondays through Saturdays from 10 to 2 pm, or at SMCC on Mondays from 5-7 pm; Wednesdays from 3 to 5 pm; and Fridays from 11 to 3 pm.

Suggested donations include toys suited for children of all ages; personal hygiene items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, and shampoo; family homecare items like detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, and sponges; and food items like canned chicken, tuna, roast beef, ravioli, pasta, stew, peanut butter, rice, soup, crackers, pudding, and fruit cups.

SMCC staff and volunteers will also be preparing Christmas meals for pick-up and delivery to those in need. The meals are provided at no charge, with SMCC donors and in-kind donations helping to offset costs through their support.

SMCC usually hosts annual community dinners at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. This year they have transitioned to take-out and delivery meals as part of the Community Center’s role as the Bay Hundred area’s food hub during the COVID pandemic.

SMCC also provides emergency clothing and household goods through its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, which is open for shoppers with masks and social distancing Mon. through Sat., 10 to 2 pm.  Donations to the Thrift Store of gently used clothing, toys, household goods, and furniture are gratefully accepted each of those days from 10 to 1:30 pm.

Donations to SMCC and proceeds from the Treasure Cove Thrift Shop in St. Michaels, Md. help the nonprofit provide year-round community programs and services that contribute to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of people from throughout the Bay Hundred area, with more at stmichaelscc.org.

Classic Motor Museum 3rd Annual AutoFest to be held September 26th

 The Classic Motor Museum is happy to announce the 3rd annual AutoFest on September 26, 2020 from 9am-2pm.   AutoFest is free to attend and there will be something for everyone including:

*Classic car show (30 vehicle cap, (half filled) pre-reg strongly suggested)

*Antique American LaFrance firetruck on site for wonderful photo ops

*Discounted CMM Membership Booth (one day only!)

*Cars & Coffee with Blue Heron Coffee Roasters

*Sit down discussion with former Ford Mustang designer, John Aiken

*Sheriff Gamble's team for Talbot Goes Purple

*Silent Auction with great local items as well as car related items!

*50/50 Raffle

*Food truck

*Live Music from the legendary Kenny Haddaway!

*and much more!

To register for the car show, click here.

*Admission to AutoFest is free, and admission to the Exhibit Barn is $15/couple, $10/single, $5/Student, Under 6 free

**PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE ST MICHAELS SCHOOL LOT - ONLY CAR SHOW VEHICLES CAN PARK ON THE MUSEUM LAWN**

(From the High School lot, it is a 2 block walk. Seymour Ave to New Lane to Marengo St)

**Please note that masks or facial covering must be worn while on the museum campus when social distancing cannot be observed**

Christmas in St. Michaels goes virtual, raises community funds

Christmas in St. Michaels is re-focusing its 34^th year of fundraising festivities into a virtual celebration beginning this fall, with numerous online activities and holiday-themed packages and kits to help embrace the Christmas spirit while raising funds for Bay Hundred non-profit organizations. The reformatting is in response to the social distancing measures brought on by the COVID pandemic, which limit the large gatherings that traditionally come with Christmas in St. Michaels events.

The goal for this year’s virtual Christmas in St. Michaels events is to raise enough funds to be able to distribute grants to the same beneficiaries they have supported in the past. More than 25 family services, education and child development, and community enhancement organizations depend on Christmas in St. Michaels funds to support their programs and activities.

A Christmas in St. Michaels Online Raffle kicks off on Oct. 15, with details on Christmas in St. Michaels’s website and a drawing to take place on Nov. 15. An Online Silent Auction will take place beginning Nov. 27 and continuing through Dec. 8, with a preview of the auction items scheduled for Nov. 20 – 26. 

Gift certificates for a three-course champagne toast dinner at the Inn at Perry Cabin will be available for purchase beginning in October and valid Dec. 1 – Dec. 30 to serve as a virtual Yuletide Celebration Dinner. An Online Marketplace will help supporters find the perfect gifts while helping to raise the critical funds needed by local service organizations.

Children’s favorites like Breakfast with Santa and Santa's Favorite Cookies will now be available to purchase as kits online for either pick-up or by shipment. Adults can indulge in online shopping with a cause by purchasing “Cheers to a New Year!” wine and hors d'oeuvres packages, and “Spirits with Saint Nick” whiskey and dessert packages, both available by local pick-up.

Free and open to the public will be a “Light up the Night” drive-by house and harbor tour, with a boat parade in the planning stages. The dates and best routes for spectators will be posted on the Christmas in St. Michaels website. Union United Methodist Church is also participating in Christmas in St. Michaels fundraising, with carryout holiday dinners available for purchase.

This year’s Christmas in St. Michaels Collector’s Ornament features an osprey, adapted from an original drawing by local artist and graphic designer Scott Sullivan. The Limited-Edition Ornaments are packaged in a keepsake box and are now available for purchase at select area stores and on the Christmas in St. Michaels website.

Christmas in St. Michaels began in 1987 when a group of energetic volunteers recognized the need for daycare services in the community. Funds were raised through community support, and a daycare center was established, now known as Critchlow Adkins Children Centers. Sponsors and patrons of Christmas in St. Michaels since that time have helped raise more than $1.4M in support of numerous local non-profit organizations.

Proceeds from Christmas in St. Michaels help the people served by local non-profit organizations. Event updates, online purchases, and more about Christmas in St. Michaels are at christmasinstmichaels.org.

 

St. Michaels restaurants aim to 'stay ahead of the curve'

 

St. Michaels restaurants aim to 'stay ahead of the curve'

• From Star Democrat By JESSICA DUERSTINE jduerstine@chespub.com

 

• Jul 31, 2020

ST. MICHAELS — Three restaurant owners from St. Michaels came together to create a list of rules designed to protect employees and customers from the spread of COVID-19.

Del. Johnny Mautz, owner of Carpenter Street Saloon in St. Michaels and a Republican representing Talbot County in the state House of Delegates, met up with Terye Knopp, owner of Foxy’s Harbor Grill, and Chris Agharabi, owner of Ava’s Pizzeria and Theo’s, to work out a way to help with some of the confusion surrounding COVID-19 guidelines.

“We all agreed that there is an aura of COVID fatigue.” Mautz said. “People are fatigued about all the information that they’ve gotten about COVID, and there’s a lot of confusion. And there’s a little understanding the fact that sometimes one day can be different than the next.”

“We’ve got challenges running our businesses for our employees and for our guests and for ourselves,” Mautz added. “We started talking to come up with some guidelines to just put on paper.”

Their list, which also had input from other St. Michaels restaurant owners, is titled “Staying Ahead of the Curve” and includes a list of commitments that restaurants will make to the customers, as well as a list of things the restaurants ask of the customers.

Mautz, Knopp and Agharabi compiled the list and forwarded it to other local restaurants, who all supported the effort and added to the list.

“They’ve all said, ‘Yes, absolutely. We need to get this clear information out to everyone to provide some reliable, clear ideas that we can all look to as we kind of go through the day-to-day trials and tribulations,’” Mautz said.

“A lot of these things are already being done,” Agharabi said. “It’s just letting people know this is what we do and this is what you can expect from us. We want you to follow the rules that are out there. Most people are already doing this, it just formalizes it to say we’re unified doing this.”

Mautz added that the list is not designed to supplant or replace oversight and regulation from the local health department, but rather a way to support local efforts.

“You know, the health department is overwhelmed. The county is overwhelmed. Towns are overwhelmed. The police are stretched thin,” Mautz said. “And we thought it would be our way of contributing to the effort here to promote public health and public safety. And, you know, with that comes happiness, right? We will make everybody happy.”

The list they developed reads:

Our commitment to you:

• All employees wear masks at all times.
• Staff temperatures are taken when they report to work, and when they depart.
• Our buildings are sanitized daily with an antiviral aerosol mister.
• All hard surfaces are sanitized throughout the day.
• Tables are sanitized between all guests.
• All guest seating is separated by 6 ft.
• We will not seat more than 6 people per table.
• We will not permit gathering or standing at bars.
• We will make sure all guests are seated for dining or drinking.
• We will post the proper social distancing signs and guidelines.
• We will listen to your concerns.

What we ask from you:

• Please do not come in if you are feeling ill, have a fever, or are showing symptoms.
• Please, enter the restaurant with a mask.
• Please sit at a table wearing a mask.
• Order from waitstaff wearing a mask.
• Feel free to remove your mask when beverages and food arrive — eat, drink and enjoy your meal.
• Please, politely raise your mask whenever you speak to the waitstaff.
• Please put your mask on if you visit the restroom during your visit.
• Please wash your hands with soap and water before returning to your table after using the restroom.
• Please leave the restaurant wearing your mask.

SEE STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE HERE