January 2018 GOOD NEWS Newsletter

​Hello, good people,

There was so much *Good News* in Crisfield in the last month, I hardly knew where to start, so I grouped the topics for better understanding:

​Local Business News:

CAFE’S CARRY-OUT:  

The interior and exterior renovations to Cafe’s Carry-Out, located behind the post office, have been completed.  Mary Nelson planned the layout and rustic decor, while Dan Nelson did most of the work inside and out. One of the coolest features inside, not counting the water views from several windows, is the sliding barn door that separates the front counter area from the kitchen. Dan made that himself. Then they had a soft opening in mid-December with very little advertising. Even so, business has been building with increases of about 33% each day. Favorites on the menu so far are chicken and cheeseburger subs. Dan said they’ve had two surprises: 85% of their business is new clientele, and many people are choosing to dine-in, sitting at the tables and chairs that are available inside. It’s wonderful to see them get off to a great start in the middle of winter weather!  

CARRIAGE RIDES AT WATER’S EDGE:

• The horse and buggy carriage rides at Water’s Edge were a big hit on December 23rd. In fact, owner Dan Nelson said they were “run over” with business.  One patron even gave his girlfriend a diamond ring during the ride. More carriage rides will be scheduled throughout the year, with the next ones being on Valentine’s Day. A red carriage has been reserved this time.

JAVA JAY’S:

• Java Jay’s is open, and people are warming up to the coffee and pastries available there. In addition, the shop got some good publicity recently from a feature on Channel 47-TV in Salisbury. Here’s the link in case you missed it: http://www.wmdt.com/news/maryland/local-coffee-shop-looking-to-revive-crisfields-downtown-area/673509919 It’s great to have a new coffee shop uptown and to have people starting to make it a place to meet for lunch or relax and enjoy coffee and a pastry.

DINNER AND A STORY:

• The new Gathering Place (formerly Circle Inn) is hosting an event called “Dinner and a Story — Colonial Families of Lower Somerset County” on Saturday, January 20th. The cost is $5 per person plus a purchase from the dinner menu. Joe Paden will share some episodes and adventures of the early colonists, including families such as Adams, Cullen, Lawson, Riggin, Sterling, and Tawes. He will include tales of overcoming hardships that formed the heritage and culture of the Chesapeake Bay. Also Phil Goldsborough will speak on where these families first settled and some of the instruments they used to lay out the land. Seating is limited so get your tickets from the Gathering Place asap. This is a new event in Crisfield and hopefully it will lead to many other historical events that share our rich history with locals and tourists alike.

McDONALD’S RENOVATION:

• Crisfield’s McDonald’s got an interior renovation during December while managing to stay open throughout. Inside there are new tile floors, new tables and booths, and new bathrooms. It looks really good! I can remember when people said Crisfield would never get a McDonald’s because we didn’t have enough population to sustain it. Apparently that’s not true!  

TIM & DORIS’:

• This shop will open in the former Nachyo Taco building downtown sometime in January. It will feature giftware, Amish furniture, and appliances. This is going to be a great addition to downtown, and I look forward to having more to say in February’s newsletter.

JOHNNY’S SWEETS:

• Coming soon downtown where The Blue Crab Cafe used to be…!

ENTERPRISE ZONE TAX BENEFITS:

• All of the above shops are eligible for tax benefits as a result of being in an Enterprise Zone in Crisfield. The Zone covers uptown and downtown. Anyone who buys or owns a property in the Enterprise Zone and makes improvements and/or hires employees can get tax benefits. The income tax credits apply when hiring qualified individuals and can be as much as a total of $6,000 for each employee over a period of 3 years. In addition, tax reductions apply to the improvements made to the property. The real property tax reduction is 80% for each of the first five years and decreases by 10% over the next five years. These tax benefits are *huge*! Crisfield expanded its Enterprise Zone last year with the hope of boosting development in uptown and on the waterfront. Mayor Lawson said, “With an updated and expanded Enterprise Zone, Crisfield enthusiastically embraces the opportunity to leverage our assets with other potential partners in the region for a vibrant economic development effort, putting people to work and boosting our unique quality of life.” The first step for anyone interested in taking advantage of the Enterprise Zone benefits is to contact Danny Thompson, Executive Director for Somerset County Economic Development, at 410-651-0500 or [email protected] to register. Here is a link for more information: Enterprise_Zone_Application_Fact_Sheet-2014

Boosts to Tourism:
                NATIONAL PUBLICITY FROM USA TODAY:

• In a recent article in USA Today entitled “50 States: 50 Food Capitals”, guess what city was named the “Crab Capital of the World”? Crisfield, Maryland.   

SOMERS COVE MARINA AWARDS:

• Somers Cove Marina has been recognized with a 2017 Boaters’ Choice Award by com, ranking it in the top 2% among more than 8000 marinas.  Rankings are based upon boater reviews submitted to the marinas.com website.  This ranking places Somers Cove in a special class of only 17 Chesapeake Bay marinas to be recognized with this award.  These marinas include such popular sites as Baltimore Marine Centers at Inner Harbor, Baltimore; Hartge Yacht Harbor, Galesville; Herrington Harbour North and South; Mears Marina, Annapolis; and Zahniser’s Yachting Center, Solomons.

• Governor Larry Hogan recognized the staff of Somers Cove for their achievement, presenting Marina Director Tom Schisler with the Customer Service Heroes Award at a presentation held before Christmas in Annapolis.  The Governor said, “Under Tom Schisler’s leadership, Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield is one of the highest-rated marinas in the United States.  This honor is directly attributable to the tremendous effort of Tom and his team for providing excellent customer service, and I congratulate him for this distinguished honor.”  Somers Cove has also attained high rankings on Active Captain and other social media sites, where the Marina gets high marks for its facilities and services, sometimes tempered by comments about the lack of vitality of the town of Crisfield itself.  Tom, as an ex-officio member of the GCAC Board of Directors, is not only dedicated to improving Somers Cove Marina, but also to achieving the GCAC mission and vision to make Crisfield the number one UNIQUE tourist destination on the Eastern Shore for boaters and tourists alike.

SEAFOOD WORKERS MURAL:

• The Somerset County Arts Council has awarded the Greater Crisfield Action Coalition a grant of $2,800 with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council for a mural to be painted by local artist Robin Daniels. The mural will depict the seafood workers in Crisfield picking crabs. This would be painted on a prominent wall in the Crisfield business district, either uptown or downtown, where it could be enjoyed by citizens and visitors alike. The purpose of the mural is to acknowledge our heritage in the seafood industry and the seafood workers’ contribution to Crisfield’s economy and reputation as “The Crab Capital of the World.” In the future, we hope to have other murals around the town depicting the history of Crisfield based on post card pictures and other historical pictures available from the Crisfield Heritage Foundation and others. The Seafood Workers Mural is part of an overall project to beautify Crisfield and to help make Crisfield the #1 unique tourist destination on the Eastern Shore.

ACCOHANNOCK TRIBE GETS STATE RECOGNITION:

• Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order establishing the Accohannock Native American Tribe of Maryland as an indigenous and historical tribe of the state. The Accohannock are now one of only 3 recognized tribes in Maryland, with two Piscataway Tribes being recognized 6 years ago by then-Governor Martin O’Malley. The Accohannock have pursued this goal for over 15 years and have worked with genealogists and tribal consultants to verify and confirm their existence here on the Lower Shore and in Somerset County in the Crisfield/Marion area. The petition process is a very rigorous process and is overseen by the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs. Formerly the tribe’s Historian, now Tribal Chairman, Mike Hinman did much of the research for the tribe initially, using the archives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with records from 1603, which are among the oldest records in the U.S.

• At the presentation ceremony, he noted that, “It was important for the Accohannock Indians not to become a lost and forgotten people. Today we can say with more meaning than ever, we are still here, where we have always been, and where we will go into the future until the Creator tells us we are no more.” Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford said, “As some of the first watermen, hunters, and farmers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the Accohannock Tribe helped the first settlers in the state learn to survive off of the land. Today, the Accohannock community continues to serve an important role in our state, and we hope they continue to thrive in Maryland for years to come.” The ceremony was attended by 4 of 5 Somerset County Commissioners. “Congratulations to the Accohannocks as today they completed their long journey to be recognized as the third Native American tribe in the state of Maryland,” said County Commissioner President Randy Laird. This is a very big deal for the Accohannock  people and for this area because now they can expand their efforts to preserve their heritage and educate others in Native American customs and ways. We wish them the best!

BIKE PATH TO CRISFIELD:

• In more good news, Somerset County Recreation and Parks received approval for $5 million in grants from two state programs for a Rail Trail that will run from Marion to the entrance of Crisfield. It is the first phase of the three phase project, according to Recreation and Parks Director, Clint Sterling, who wrote the proposals. The 5.7 mile asphalt trail will be ten feet wide and will have landscaping on both sides as well as parking and rest areas, plus safety features. The “spirit” of the project is to accomplish three goals: to improve public health, to benefit recreational tourism, and to beautify the gateway into Crisfield.  The intent is to connect biking and walking with kayaking, nature, and other outdoor activities available here. For example, the Accohannock Water Trail (See video at: https://youtu.be/TC7sEqzyVbM) is listed on the Somerset Trail Mix website (somersettrailmix) and is not far from the start of the trail in Marion. This is an example of how the two attractions can benefit each other.

• When Clint Sterling started exploring the idea of a rail trail, he traveled to Hancock, Maryland to see an example of one that had benefited the town. In fact, a news article titled “Rail trail puts Hancock back on the traveler’s map” –https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archives/rail-trail-puts-hancock-back-on-the-traveler-s-map/article_518fd0e8-ee3f-5173-9e78-91cc123b7aff.html – stated that once completed, “It generates about $1.7 million in tourism annually with about 80,000 people a year” coming to use the rail trail in Hancock, a town of about 1800. Very encouraging news for Crisfield as well. Obviously, Clint Sterling is excited about building the trail, which he hopes will be completed in about 12-18 months. After that, he says, they will go right back for funds for Phase II, which will extend the Rail Trail to Westover. The third Phase would connect the trail to Princess Anne. He believes in giving credit where credit is due, and noted that, “Donnie Drewer [retired District Engineer for the State Highway Administration] has been a champion and ally on this from the start,” as well as others who worked together to make it happen. Congratulations to all who played a part. It’s another piece of the puzzle leading to the rise of Crisfield…!

A&E DISTRICT:

• Adding to the above, at its December Council meeting, the City Council approved a resolution authorizing an application to the Maryland Department of Commerce to designate certain geographic boundaries of the City of Crisfield Arts and Entertainment District. The map showing the designated areas includes the downtown area as well as uptown Crisfield. This designation provides “an income tax subtraction modification for qualifying artists”… and “a property tax credit”. This resolution comes after eight months of community meetings and discussion about forming an A&E District in Crisfield. Last month, the City took another step forward by approving the resolution authorizing the application to go forward. Having an A&E District will encourage more artists and art-related events in Crisfield, something that is certain to attract tourists and other art enthusiasts.

SEEKING TO EXPAND GOLF CART USE:

• In addition, City Manager Rick Pollitt has prepared a draft of legislation that would allow golf carts “on all highways located within the corporate limits of the City of Crisfield,” and has enlisted the support of Senator Jim Mathias and Delegate Charles Otto to bring this legislation to fruition. As it stands, golf carts are restricted from state highways except at approved intersections, thus greatly limiting their use by boaters at Somers Cove Marina and others. If this legislation is successful, it would further boost the use of golf carts and aid access to various businesses and attractions throughout Crisfield for the enjoyment of tourists and locals. As Senator Mathias told me, “Specifically, I remain dedicated to expanding the recently passed golf cart legislation, and to finding solutions to enhance the smart use of golf carts as an asset to grow Somers Cove Marina and to provide a convenient, efficient, and safe means of transportation in Crisfield.”

THIRD BAY BRIDGE SPAN:

• The State of Maryland is seeking to resolve traffic congestion at the Bay Bridge by building a third Bay Bridge span somewhere along the Chesapeake. As the state’s tourism industry has rebounded from the recession of recent years, the call for relief from the traffic has become more intense. Senator Mathias has been a vocal advocate for looking at Crisfield as one end of a new span.  According to the Senator, “A third bay span will be one of the greatest things we can do in the 21st Century. I believe conceptual discussions and planning for a Third Chesapeake Bay Span Crossing is critical for the Eastern Shore of Maryland’s growth and success. Specifically, a bridge in the Crisfield region can prove to be a tremendous economic opportunity for  the people and industries of Crisfield and the entire Lower Eastern Shore and the Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester County region… The time is now to advance these discussions and seek workable solutions.” Mathias pushed for legislation to provide State budget funds for an environmental feasibility study connecting Crisfield to the western shore, according to Crisfield City Manager Rick Pollitt.  Other locations, including Dorchester County and the present location on Kent Island, will also be evaluated. Crisfield may be a long shot, but *never* count us out!

Other Good News:
GROWTH OF POSTAL MAIL:

• On December 22, I asked the postal clerk at the Crisfield post office if people were sending less Christmas cards this year or more. Without hesitation she said they are sending more! And, she said, they are sending more packages and getting more packages. “In fact,” she said, “this has been the busiest year we’ve had in ten years.” I asked what she thought was the reason. She said she didn’t know. Maybe people are tired of holding back, she said, so this year they just decided to go ahead and do more. Or maybe it’s a sign that the economy is picking up. I wonder if it’s an indication that people are spreading more goodwill in an effort to show more love. In any case, it feels like a sign of positive things going on in Crisfield.

CARVEL HALL:

• City Manager Rick Pollitt reported that Tom Spangler and his team met with citizens and City Council members all day on December 12 to answer questions, aid understanding, and gain support for his project at Carvel Hall. The meeting was so well attended that the meeting continued even during the lunch that was delivered midday. Council members who attended left with questions answered and a better understanding of the plans for Carvel Hall. A vote on the proposed zoning change will occur on Wednesday, January 10 at the City Council meeting.

NEW RESIDENTS:

• The owner of Salon One reported a significant number of new patrons who have moved to Crisfield in the past year as compared to previous years. He also heard from one resident that homes on Sackertown Road that have been vacant for 10-15 years now have fulltime occupants. The more this happens the better!

COUNTY TIMES:

• We are pleased to announce that Richard Crumbacker, editor of the County Times, has agreed to publish our monthly newsletter. This came about as a result of a recommendation from one of our readers who felt that “the positivity would be infectious.” Thank you, Joanna Johnson of Edgewood, Maryland, for making this suggestion. We are honored to be published monthly in our local newspaper.

It’s amazing to me how many *new* things were going on in Crisfield in the last month during the so-called “off-season”. In addition, the Greater Crisfield Action Coalition has a number of projects in the works for this Spring, but can do even more with your help. I will be sending another newsletter in mid-January giving you an opportunity to help us help Crisfield through your contributions and volunteerism. Meanwhile, enjoy this Crisfield sunset posted on Facebook by Larry Prettyman with the comment, “Crisfield does it again.” Priceless! 

​Best,

Charlotte