February 2018 GOOD NEWS Newsletter

​Hello again, good people,

It’s always a pleasure to have the opportunity to share ‘Good News’ I have learned about during the past month. There is much going on in Crisfield once again that includes new businesses, new events, new community involvement and alliances, and new progress in becoming the “#1 unique tourist destination on the Eastern Shore“. Here are 14 topics you will find of interest:

CARVEL HALL:

• City Manager Rick Pollitt reports that he had a “very positive meeting” with Tom Spangler and Dr. Shaw of Spangler Strategic Advisors, LLC following the Council’s vote to deny a zoning change that would allow their main anchor project, the Clean Bay waste-to-energy operation, at Carvel Hall. He said, “They remain committed to the redevelopment of the property and are continuing with the environmental clean-up. They are looking to drain the pond and somehow seal  and fill it and are also investigating the actual removal of some of the contaminated soil.” Mr. Pollitt also said that people from the Governor’s staff and legislators in Annapolis have indicated a willingness to help Spangler attract other anchor tenants. Mr. Pollitt concluded that, “I do believe the overall project of revitalizing Carvel Hall is alive and well, and our work will continue.” That is ‘Good News’ indeed for the City and for Crisfield!

TIM AND DORIS’S COUNTRY STORE AND MORE:

• Tim and Doris Howlett opened their country store on Saturday and got a great response from the community who learned about the opening on Facebook. The store, located at 930 West Main Street in downtown Crisfield, has antiques and Amish furniture, candles and glassware, collectibles and country decor items as well as appliances, “new and slightly used”.  The shop will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm in the winter and longer during the season. They are planning a Grand Opening later in the Spring. This shop is a great addition to the downtown area, one that locals and visitors alike will enjoy. It complements the shops that are already here and helps give people more shopping options. In the world of tourism, more is better. 

UPTOWN IMPROVEMENTS:

• In addition to the renovations done by Jay Tawes at Java Jay’s and his adjoining laundromat, another property owner uptown is making his own improvements. Just last week, the property across from the Crisfield Discount Pharmacy was painted and new shutters were installed. (See photo below.) I talked with the workers, and they said their boss (property owner Paul Thornton)  told them to “make it pretty.” It’s amazing the difference some paint and shutters can make. Looks good, and I am hoping they will put the property to good use helping uptown come alive. I know there are several other things in the works for uptown which will help also. Things are happening behind the scenes as people come forward to invest in what we know Crisfield can be!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT PROGRESS:

• The proposed Crisfield Arts & Entertainment District has made another step of progress. At the January 24th City Council meeting, the council approved a revised map of the A&E District so that it would include the area between 9th Street and the library. The County Commissioners are expected to vote on tax incentives for the A&E District at their February 6th meeting. According to Maryland economist Daraius Irani, arts districts in Maryland have remained durable over time and accounted for more than $36 million in tax revenues for the state in 2013 as well as jobs for over 5,000. There is a lot of community support for the A&E District, and we commend the City and area leaders for their diligence in pursuing this objective for Crisfield. Click here for link to map: Crisfield A&E Map – revised

NEW HISTORICAL SIGNS:

• Several Crisfield citizens have been working diligently on the content and pictures for the next five historical signs in Crisfield. Working on behalf of the Crisfield Heritage Foundation are Phil Goldsborough, Frank Rhodes, Jason Rhodes, Casey Goldsborough, and Pat Carson. They have almost finished the content and have identified locations for the signs including uptown, downtown, and by the library. Hebron Savings Bank has funded one of the signs, and we are looking for donors for the other four. Each sign is $2,400. Can you help?

SUNSET CAPITAL OF MARYLAND:

• WBOC-TV meteorologist Dan Satterfield dubbed Crisfield “The Sunset Capital of Maryland” on a recent weather broadcast based on his experience, his love for Crisfield, and the views shown through the Crisfield webcam. Our sunsets are different every day, seemingly painted by the hand of Our Creator. Jim Atkins has captured one of our glorious sunsets in the picture below.

REAL ESTATE:

• Crisfield’s two largest real estate firms, Wilson Realty and Tull & Price, had combined sales for the past two years totaling almost $12 million. For a small town that’s had rough times, that’s quite an improvement over the days when agents sold almost no property all year. Sales and demand in the neighboring counties are on the rise too, so it was only a matter of time for folks to discover Crisfield. I predict 2018-2020 will show strong sales and high demand for waterfront property and all property due to the upward momentum, gentle, affordable lifestyle, and natural beauty here.

NEW CRISFIELD LIBRARY:

• Dedicated in June 2016, Crisfield’s new library on Collins Street is getting the use it deserves. Summers are the busiest times at the library because children are out of school, and the library offers big events for kids that include clowns and jugglers, for example. In previous years, summer attendance was around 2,000 at the Corbin Memorial Library. Although the new library is offering a similar amount of programs as before, summer attendance is now over 5,000. That is a very good indication that the new library is appreciated and is being put to good use. I know it must be very rewarding for those who put in the long, hard work to see the cars in the parking lot and the kids (and adults) enjoying the library. Well done, good people!

A PIRATE TALE FOR ALL AGES:

• Joe Paden and Chesapeake Story Tours will present entertaining stories of the fiercest pirates and scallywags of the Chesapeake Bay on February 24 at The Gathering Place in Crisfield. It’s an event that will interest locals and visitors alike. There’s even a Pirate Costume Contest for kids and adults. Last month’s event sold out, and this one promises to sell out as well. For tickets, you can email Joe at [email protected].

See the one minute promo video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q1-kEdpcAc.
CEMETARY RESTORATION:

• In addition, Crisfield Story Tours, in partnership with the Friends of Crisfield (a 501c3 non-profit), is undertaking a project to restore the Union Asbury Cemetery located behind Asbury United Methodist Church on Asbury Avenue. Located deep in the woods, the cemetery is a “massive burial ground” containing hundreds of graves of Crisfielders dating back as far as the Civil War. One grave that is marked is that of Preston Jewett, who served in the 30th United States Colored Infantry Company B in the Civil War. Another grave is that of Dr. Winter Barkley, likely the first African-American doctor in Somerset County. According to Joe Paden, “The cemetery is filled with people who each played a role in the shaping of Crisfield’s story. Watermen, business owners, seafood workers. Their eternal resting place deserves to be preserved.” This is an exciting project that could serve to uncover more of Crisfield’s history and enhance the rich heritage that is already known. Perhaps Joe will make the findings a Crisfield Story Tours event in the future. If you wish to volunteer to help restore the cemetery or make a donation, email Joe Paden at [email protected].

NEW GCAC BOARD MEMBERS:

• We are pleased to announce that the Greater Crisfield Action Coalition has four new Board members for 2018 who will strengthen our team and expand our efforts to help Crisfield progress. The new members are: Donnie Drewer, a Crisfield native who recently retired as District Engineer for the State Highway Administration. Few are more highly respected or have accomplished as much as Donnie on behalf of Crisfield and the state through SHA; Cliff Harcum, Director of the Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning at UMES. He is a Jefferson Award recipient who stands out as a social entrepreneur and community organizer. He will help us with his hands-on approach and passion to reach and help our community to rise; Frances Martinez Myers, who was the President of an international corporate relocation and management company and has an extensive resume of accomplishments and awards as a national leader and professional. As a GCAC advisor, she recently drafted Crisfield’s first Prospectus to attract new businesses and retirees to Crisfield; Linda Singh, owner of Bay Gift Vault, has years of marketing and branding experience as an executive in Manhattan and will help GCAC help Crisfield and local businesses to survive and thrive through marketing strategies that work. As you can see, we have a powerhouse of new talent on the GCAC Board. For more details, click the link to the news article from the County Times: County Times – new Board members – January 31, 2018

CRISFIELD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LIAISON TO GCAC:

• In addition to our new Board members, GCAC is delighted to have Bill Buttrill serve as the liaison between the Chamber of Commerce and GCAC. Bill, a local businessman, has years of experience serving as the Chamber’s Past President, and will be able to keep the Chamber informed of GCAC activities while advising GCAC on what the Chamber is doing. Besides keeping both organizations informed, we hope to find ways to work together for the greater good of Crisfield. Collaborations make our efforts stronger, and GCAC considers the Chamber an important organization in our community that does much to promote tourism through the Clam Bake, Crab Derby and other activities it sponsors. Bill is the newest addition to the GCAC Advisor Resource Team, and we welcome him aboard.

GCAC AND THE CITY:

• Over the past several months, Mr. Pollitt held several small group meetings with two representatives from GCAC and two representatives from the City to discuss how the organizations might work together. Mayor Lawson and Council Vice President Johnson represented the City, while Jay Tawes and Darlene Taylor and then Dan Nelson sat in for GCAC. These discussions have led to a point where the two groups are ready to prepare to develop an agenda for a larger general meeting to include all members of the City and of GCAC.   To facilitate the general meeting, Mr. Pollitt contacted Michele Ennis, Executive Director of Tri Community Mediation, in an effort to make the exercise as productive as possible. Mr. Pollitt worked with Ms. Ennis previously when he was Wicomico County Executive and she was associated with the Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution at Salisbury University. He has high regard for her work and used it to great effect previously. He expects a meeting with her and the small group in the next couple of weeks to prepare for the larger meeting. As you see, some things take a long time, but the hope is always that it will have been worth the wait!

GCAC DONATIONS:

• Donations have started coming in as a result of the January 19 newsletter requesting funding for various projects in preparation for the 2018 season, and I know there are more to come. I have attached the information and donation form and will give a report on our progress by the end of February. Please consider giving if you have not done so. We can make a difference if we work together and share the load. Will you help us help Crisfield?

GCAC Fundraiser 2018 – charts and donor form

If you look at one of these topics or another, it may seem small, but when you take them all together and combine them with January’s good news and last December’s good news, etc., you can see that Crisfield is definitely moving in the right direction. The secret to our success will be *Vision, Faith, Perseverance, and Unity*. It isn’t hard if you take it one step at a time. As I look back, we have already come far indeed, but I predict that by 2020, Crisfield will be living up to the true potential God intended when He blessed Crisfield with so many assets and the talented people who were born here along with the ones who have come here. Working together we cannot fail!

Best regards to all,
​
Charlotte