Ferry Cruise Guests Enjoy Evening For Mentors
About fifty guests embarked on a two-hour sunset cruise aboard the Oxford Ferry on September 9th in support of Talbot Mentors. Passengers enjoyed music by blues guitarist Rick Forrest, appetizers and refreshments while the ferry cruised the Tred Avon River.
Talbot Mentors Program Coordinator Jessika Best thanked Captains Tom and Judy Bixler for providing their vessel for the fundraiser. “The sky was absolutely beautiful,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better setting for a sunset cruise.” She added her appreciation to Forrest for the entertainment and Al Smith for spearheading the event.
Funds raised will support Talbot Mentors’ program of matching volunteers with children who can benefit from additional adult friendships in their lives.
For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mentor, call Talbot Mentors at 410-770-5999 or visit www.talbotmentors.org.
Dr. Case Joins Shore Health Surgical Team
Brad A. Case, MD, FACS, has joined Shore Surgical Care, an affiliate of Shore Health System. Dr. Case is a general surgeon with more than 20 years of surgical experience and a record of distinguished military service. He is accepting new patients at his offices in Easton and Queenstown.
Dr. Case performs a full array of surgical services, including minimally invasive and laparoscopic abdominal surgery; hernia repair; gallbladder removal; colorectal surgery; and peripheral vascular surgery.
Dr. Case earned an undergraduate degree from Bucknell University and a master’s degree from Georgetown University prior to entering medical school. After earning his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, he entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
Shore Health Offers free prostate cancer screenings
There is no better time than September — during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month — for men to get their annual prostate cancer screenings. Although prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among men, when detected early, it boasts some of the highest survival rates.
Shore Health has partnered with the Talbot County NAACP, in conjunction with the Prostate Conditions Education Council, to provide free prostate cancer screenings on Thursday, Sept. 20. Appointments are available between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Talbot County Health Department, 100 S. Hanson Street in Easton.
Entrepreneurs Invited to Get on the Bus and Celebrate Their Innovations and Businesses During the Pitch Across Maryland Tour
Startup Maryland Teams with Regional Innovation Stakeholder to Co-Host Tour Stops Across the State of Maryland
Startup Maryland is launching Pitch Across Maryland, a state-wide startup tour and business pitch competition. Taking place September 11 - 28, this two and a half week tour across the state will travel from the Eastern Shore to Western Maryland; from Cecil County to St. Mary’s County; from the Baltimore Beltway and the DC Beltway -- and everywhere in between.
The bus will travel the state to visit incubators, economic development agencies and universities—all in the name of celebrating entrepreneurship. At each stop, Startup Maryland will hold rallies sharing information about the incredible entrepreneurial resources across the state and within their region. Additionally, entrepreneurs will get coaching and support from business mentors and other leaders of Maryland’s innovation economy.
Startup entrepreneurs will be videotaped giving their business pitches at each tour location. Then, videos will be uploaded and open to public voting.
A Lighthouse, Rumrunners, Watermen, and Murder

Students inspired by Legos robotics program at Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers
Twenty-seven area students had an interesting reply when asked, “what did you do during your summer vacation?” The students participated in a hands-on robotics and interactive program, which was designed to teach engineering skills through play. The program took place at Easton Elementary School as part of a summer program for Critchlow Adkins Children’s Center (CACC), Easton.
During the daylong program taught by 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator Thomas Hutson, the children planned, built and programmed their own robots with the use of Legos and a laptop computer. The robotics program is one of many interactive, educationally-based specialty programs offered by CACC.
Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers (CACC), Easton, is an accredited, educationally-based childcare program serving more than 450 children aged two through 15 in five locations throughout Talbot County. CACC is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education's (MSDE) Office of Child Care and all four early learning sites are accredited by MSDE's Early Learning Division.
Environmental Concern Announces 40th Anniversary “Big Night In?” Gala
Innovative fundraiser keeps organization’s mission at the forefront
Environmental Concern of St. Michaels, Md. announces its 40th Anniversary “Big Night In” Gala to celebrate four decades of connecting children, teachers, professionals and the community to wetland habitats in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Unlike traditional fundraising events, guests are invited to enjoy a night at home instead of attending an event in person. While officially scheduled for October 5th, guests can host their own “Big Night In” on the evening of their choice. The quirky invitation depicts a wetland habitat, gives participants suggestions on how to spend their evening, and also shares green tips to make their “Big Night In” a sustainable one. Participants in the “Big Night In” are also encouraged to take photos and share how they spent their evening on the organization’s Facebook Page.
“We are practitioners,” comments Environmental Concern’s President, Suzanne Pittenger-Slear. “When we thought about how to celebrate our 40th year, we felt it was important to honor our history and keep our mission at the forefront, instead of spending limited time and resources on planning a large event. With today’s fast pace and over-booked calendars, we felt that our supporters would enjoy a reason to stay in and reconnect with their families and living rooms while supporting our mission.”
To receive more information about the “Big Night In” or be added to the invitation list, visit www.wetland.org/bignightin or contact Suzanne Pittenger-Slear at sslear@wetland.org or 410.745.9620.
Hearthstone Health and Fitness Donates New Member Joining Fees to Pickering Creek Audubon Center
Local Health & Wellness Center Supports Youth Challenge Course
Hearthstone Health and Fitness recently donated $2,250 to the Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Easton. One hundred percent of the fitness center’s July new member joining fees were given in support of the center’s outdoor Challenge Course and other youth programs.
“It has always been my desire to select worthy local organizations to periodically benefit from our membership drives. Pickering Creek was a logical choice since its mission dovetails nicely with what Hearthstone is doing,” commented Hearthstone President, Dave Tuthill. “Their youth Challenge Course helps prepare young people for both the physical and mental demands of adult life. Their emphasis on holistic education and practices will help these young people become vibrant and productive adults. It is a pleasure to be helping out Pickering Creek in this way. We are very pleased to channel a significant contribution to them as a result of our membership initiative.”
Pickering Creek Audubon Center is dedicated to community-based conservation of natural resources through environmental education and outreach on the Eastern Shore. The 400-acre working farm next to the tidal Pickering Creek in Talbot County features a variety of ways the community can engage with nature and is free and open to the public 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset. The center has been providing excellent environmental and science education programs to students from eight Maryland Counties and the District of Columbia for more than 25 years. Over 16,000 school children visit each year and are given the opportunity to make a physical and emotional connection to the Chesapeake Bay. The Challenge Course is just one of the many youth programs the center offers.
Talbot Free Library - September Programs for Adults
Adult Programs
Easton (100 West Dover Street, Easton)
Authors to Discuss Achieving Better Health Without Medication
Thursday, September 13, 6:00 p.m. Dr. John Snyder, author of Overcoming Depression Without Drugs, and David Mercier, L.Ac., author of A Beautiful Medicine, will discuss their work.
Brown Bag Lunch: Hurricanes and the Chesapeake Region
Thursday, September 20, noon. Rick Schwartz talks about the great storms in our region.
Adkins Arboretum Awarded SUPPORT FOR UNDERGROUND RAILROAD INTERPRETATION
With its forests, thickets, marshes, rivers and creeks, the Eastern Shore’s natural landscape provided a passageway to freedom along the Underground Railroad for hundreds, and possibly thousands, of slaves, including abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. Designated as a “Place to Visit” on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, Adkins Arboretum reflects the conditions through which slaves traveled en route to freedom, and serves as a dramatic vista to experience the little-known relationship between nature and the Underground Railroad.
With grant support from Maryland Humanities Council and Maryland Heritage Area Authority, the Arboretum will produce a stimulating, educational and thought-provoking interpretive project that explores the role of nature for those in pursuit of freedom via the Underground Railroad. The two awards, totaling $28,000, will expand the Arboretum’s capacity to tell the story and experience of the Underground Railroad and make a significant contribution to the development of the Underground Railroad Scenic Byway.