November 2017 Newsletter – GOOD NEWS in Crisfield

Hello, good people,

Are you ready for some GOOD NEWS? Lots of GOOD NEWS?? Yes, we’re heading into winter, but good things continue to happen in Crisfield every month. Here’s the latest:
THE GATHERING PLACE:

• The Circle Inn sold last week, and they are already OPEN! They painted the exterior and have put up a new sign that says, “The Gathering Place – former Circle Inn.” I understand the new owners are Ronnie and Glenda Mrohs. This restaurant was always a favorite of locals in particular, and has been in business under the previous owners for many decades. I have a feeling the Mrohs will do very well, and I hope you will support them as they embark on their new journey in the restaurant business.

CAFE’S CARRYOUT:

• Dan and Mary Nelson are shooting to open Cafe’s Carryout by mid to late December. The name implies this is Water’s Edge Cafe’s Carryout, which it is. Water’s Edge Cafe, Dan and Mary’s other restaurant, has started to get too busy with carryout orders in addition to orders from those dining in. It just made sense to separate the two. The new restaurant will focus on carryout orders only, and will enable patrons of Water’s Edge Cafe to get their favorite dine-in foods as a carryout. Dan is having the exterior painted, and is doing a full renovation inside. He also bought a complete set of chef grade kitchen appliances including a state of the art, double stacked pizza oven. Cafe’s Carryout is in a good location that is centrally located and visible from the main highway. Plus it has convenient parking for carryout customers. Dan and Mary have had great success with Water’s Edge Cafe, and the Carryout Cafe will be the perfect complement.

SMITH ISLAND BAKING COMPANY:

• It’s nice to see the success of the Smith Island Baking Company happening in Crisfield. The company originally started on Smith Island, but after being on QVC, they just couldn’t keep up with the orders from there. So they moved to the former Cove Restaurant in Crisfield. Then, hurt by Hurricane Sandy, they renovated and opened in a new location on Chesapeake Avenue last November. According to Production Manager, Donna Smith, who is from Smith Island, when they first started on the island, a good day would be making 75-100 cakes. Now they can make close to 1,000. They sell to Camden Yards and other big clients. They also have been featured in magazines by Neiman Marcus, Rachael Ray, and the Food Network. Their new facility contains a lot of automation, but each cake still involves hands on because they still need people for every process to make the 8-9 layer cakes.

People come in the shop from all over including Washington State, Hawaii, and a lot from Pennsylvania, Donna said. Some locals come in two times a week. Some older patrons come in for a slice of cake. They also sell ice cream cooked on the stove that takes two days to make. And they have cooked fudge and Lemon Curd. The front of the store is the sales area, where they also sell hats and aprons with the Smith Island Baking Company logo. What I especially like is that from the sales area, you can see the whole cake making process through a huge plate glass window overlooking the plant. The Smith Island Baking Company fits into the plan to make Crisfield the #1 Unique Tourist Destination on the Eastern Shore. Having this newly renovated facility here offering the state’s dessert and a place to view the unique cake being made is great for Crisfield and apparently great for owner Brian Murphy and his team. Kudos to them!

JAVA JAY’S:

• Jay Tawes told me that Java Jay’s is scheduled to open on Saturday, November 18 and that he has hired Lisa Ward, a native of Crisfield, as his General Manager. I know a lot of people are looking forward to purchasing coffee and pastries from the new coffee shop in Crisfield.

BAY GIFT VAULT:

• Linda Singh, owner of the Bay Gift Vault, reported that she was “surprised” how well she did in her first year. In fact, she said she is “very pleased” with how well her new shop in Crisfield has done so far.  Nine out of ten of her customers are tourists although she does have locals who come in also. While I was there one Thursday recently, two ladies came from Berlin and shopped, a lady from Hall Highway who moved here recently shopped, and two gentlemen from Chincoteague had been there in the morning, among others. One shopper said she likes that she finds things there you can’t get anywhere else, even in Salisbury. Another shopper said, “She has beautiful stuff and affordable too.” I also find that to be true. In fact, I bought several items for Christmas presents there. Linda is now carrying some items of women’s clothing in addition to all the jewelry, giftware, journals, soap, etc. If you haven’t been there, I strongly encourage you to check it out.
• On Black Friday (November 24), Bay Gift Vault is offering “Get 50% off one item” – one item per person. That’s a real bargain, and it’s always good to support our local businesses.
• The shop is also hosting a Pinecone Workshop on Saturday, November 25 from noon to 3:00 pm. That’s something new for Crisfield, and just in time for the Christmas season.

CHINCOTEAGUE VISITORS:

• It’s interesting to note that Crisfield is getting visitors on a regular basis from Chincoteague. For example, Water’s Edge has noticed a number of patrons coming from Chincoteague. Bay Gift Vault is seeing that as well. And I learned that an artist from Chincoteague has bought a home in Crisfield. She plans to put a studio in her home and also open a shop here. She already has a shop in Chincoteague. This fits well with the Arts & Entertainment concept as well as provides another shopping opportunity for tourists. I’m glad they are finding us, and I’m glad we are expanding what is being offered here.

HALLOWEEN EVENT AT MARINA:

The Crisfield Chamber of Commerce’s Halloween Parade and Party was a big hit this year with 260 kids participating. Organizer Jayna Tawes Grant said this was the most ever. The event started with a parade from City Hall to the marina by the kids in costumes. At the marina there were crafts and pumpkins, candy and snacks, and free books. Accompanied by parents and grandparents, the attendees ate all 600 hot dogs the Lions Club and others prepared. I got there at the end, but I talked with Isabella Grant, age 8, who helped her Mom throughout. Isabella told me, “My favorite part is helping out every year. I help with the hot dogs and putting decorations on the tables.” I also took a picture of the Sterling family who really got into the Halloween spirit by dressing up with their child for the event. 

• Congratulations to the Chamber of Commerce for putting on a great Halloween event for the kids every year.

DOG PARADE AND 4TH SATURDAY BAY STROLLS:

• For the first time, this year the Somerset County Arts Council’s October 4th Saturday Bay Strolls event included a Dog Parade with the dogs dressed for Halloween. The dogs paraded from the Dog Palace across from the Fire Department to the City Dock. Prizes were given to the winners for the best costumes. What a great idea! The organizers had a live band along with vendors. I also attached two pictures of vendors in costume. The attached 4th Saturday event pictures were taken by Brandy Allen Photography. You can see the talent in her work. I commend the Somerset County Arts Council and their partners – the City of Crisfield, WBYC radio, and the Dog Palace – for putting on a great event.  These things don’t just happen, folks. It takes a lot of planning, some funding, and hard work and implementation to pull this off. Growing these kinds of events will help Crisfield attract visitors to our restaurants, shops, and other businesses as well as help promote local artists and other vendors.

VISITOR CENTER GROWTH:

• The partnership between the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce and Somerset County Tourism has been a great success. Pat Hanley, Chamber of Commerce office manager, said the Visitor Center greeted approximately 4,500 visitors this year. That’s an increase of 30% over last year. Pat also mentioned that the Visitor Center staff welcome passengers on the cruise ships that arrive at the City Dock. “They come from all over the US and Canada and are happy to receive a crab necklace and spend some time in our fair city,” she said.

MOU WITH LONG-TERM RECOVERY COMMITTEE:

• The Greater Crisfield Action Coalition Five Year Action Plan calls for developing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with numerous entities in the community whose missions relate to the betterment of the Crisfield area.  The first such formal MOU was announced in the October 18th County Times between GCAC and the Somerset County Long Term Recovery Committee (SCLTRC).   The MOU pledges the two groups to support one another, maintain open communication, avoid competition, collaborate on projects, and seek opportunities to share resources.  It acknowledges that even though both groups focus on housing, that this is the Long Term Recovery Committee’s area of expertise, and they will typically provide the leadership for projects involving housing.  It further acknowledges that both entities benefit by having some of their board members in common, and that these common directors will not be constrained by any conflict of interest concerns in the exercise of their duties.  GCAC looks forward to developing similar MOUs with other community or government organizations, and any entity wishing to partner in this manner should contact Charlotte Scott.

County Times – October 18, 2017 – MOU
PAINT THE TOWN PROJECT:

• The first project in the partnership between GCAC and the Somerset County Long Term Recovery Committee will be to plan, organize, and coordinate a “Paint the Town” project, of which the first step will be to power wash the bases of the light posts and sidewalks uptown. Kim Hopkins, Construction Manager for SCLTRC, will oversee the project and has received approval for this first step from the Mayor and City Council at the October 25th Council meeting. There will be other projects between now and May 2018 that the group will accomplish including to paint, clean-up, and freshen up the town’s appearance. We will be reaching out to other groups and individuals in the community for help including youth, churches, businesses, condo owners, and community organizations. The Coast Guard already volunteered to help when they heard Kim approach the Mayor and Council for approval. The more the merrier! Food is included.  

DONATIONS:

• A big *thank you* to Keith and Fran Campbell for their $500 donation last month. In addition, Keith has arranged for his former employer, The Hershey Company, to match his gift for another $500 to GCAC. Because GCAC is a 501(c)(3), all donations are tax deductible.
• We also thank the anonymous donor who pledged $1,000 to GCAC. It takes money to implement the Action Plan, and donations like these go a long way. In the near future, I will send you a list of the 20 projects we have planned to complete over the winter and will ask those who can to make a donation to help us help Crisfield. More on that very soon.
• All of GCAC’s funding to date has been obtained through contributions from individuals, local businesses, a church, and the American Legion.  A complete list of donors is available on the GCAC website at: http://www.greatercrisfieldmd.org/our-donors/

CONDO SALES:

• There is something quite positive going on in the real estate market with condo sales and townhouses. Let me start by saying when I bought my condo at Captain’s Quarters in 2010, condos were selling under $200,000 for the most part. I paid higher because of the square footage, the wrap around views of the marina and the City Dock, and special features like the rooftop patio and two story turret. But most condos then and for several years sold at $150,000 to $180,000. One of the smallest even sold for $125,000, I believe. Now we’re seeing prices start to climb again, with most selling above $200,000. Here are the higher sales from recent months:

Captain’s Quarters	$205,000 ​	5/12/17
Captain’s Galley	$235,000	summer
Captain’s Galley	$240,000	summer
Captain’s Galley ​	$251,000	9/7/17
Harbour Lights	$230,000	4/19/17
Harbour Lights	$225,000	5/4/17
Harbour Lights	$215,000	9/28/17
Harbour Lights	$215,000	10/4/17
Harbour Lights	$315,000 ​	10/6/17
Water’s Edge	$240,000	6/9/17
Water’s Edge	$235,000	6/28/17

These and other properties are moving in Crisfield. Tull and Price already has 3 settlements scheduled for November. These are good signs for the future of Crisfield. Get your condo while you can!
READER FEEDBACK:

• Last month I reported on the rise in visitors to Janes Island Park and the opportunity to attract these visitors into Crisfield. I got the reply below from Joanna Johnson. She and her husband bought a condo in Crisfield after coming to the park and then exploring the town. She gave great feedback in response to the newsletter and gave permission for me to share what she said:

Hi Charlotte,
Thanks, as always, for all the information. I would love to see the arts and entertainment district come to fruition. When I visit other small towns, such as Easton, Cambridge, St. Michaels, Havre de Grace, Ellicott City, etc., that is what draws me in as a visitor. And that’s great to hear of the increase in numbers at Janes Island. That’s how my husband and I found Crisfield—we camped one weekend at the park and on the Saturday we were there, said let’s go see what Crisfield is! I’ve spent my whole life in Maryland and had never heard of Crisfield. But because we found Janes Island, we discovered Crisfield. Also glad to hear about the upcoming visitor brochure…that was one of the first things I looked at when we came to Crisfield for the first time. I’ll be in town in a couple of weeks and can’t wait to check out Java Jay’s!!
Take care,
Joanna Johnson
Isn’t it great to see so many new things in motion in Crisfield? Crisfield is like a flower that is starting to bloom. I tell you it’s going to be remarkable to see Crisfield in May 2018 with many more new things happening or in motion. It takes unity, it takes commitment, and it takes vision and creativity. Crisfield has all of that and more, and now Crisfield is on a roll. There is in Crisfield, what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about: “The fierce urgency of now.” Get ready, people, for the *new Crisfield* in 2018 and be a part of the change!
Best,
Charlotte
Charlotte Scott, President
Greater Crisfield Action Coalition, Inc.
P.O. Box 144
Crisfield, MD 21817
www.GreaterCrisfieldMD.org
410-251-1669
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  — Margaret Mead, anthropologist