Regina Hartfield found a community to share her passion for being on the water through the Universal Sailing Club, the Baltimore-based organization that has sought to create connections, encourage fellowship, and spread knowledge among Black sailors within the Chesapeake Bay region for more than two decades.

 

To Hartfield, it was a natural fit for a club doing so much to nurture the present and future of Black sailing to take time to honor the past. The Eastern Shore resident organized the first Souls at Sea on-water remembrance and libation ceremony in 2013 to acknowledge the millions of captive Africans who perished during the transatlantic crossing known as the Middle Passage.

 

“I conceived of Souls at Sea because of the freedom that we have to make choices about being on the water and being in boats and owning boats and sailing around the world wherever we want to go,” Hartfield said. “Our ancestors did not have that choice, did not have that freedom when they were enslaved and traveled here in ships along the Middle Passage.

 

“There are so many souls who were lost along the way, and this just acknowledges them and lets them know that, ‘On this day at this time with these people that are present, we acknowledge and remember you.’”

 

For its 10th anniversary, Universal Sailing Club is bringing Souls at Sea to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for the first time.

 

On Saturday, Aug. 19 at 1pm, CBMM general admission guests are invited to join the land-based portion of the ceremony, which will be held on campus along Fogg’s Cove adjacent to the Van Lennep Auditorium.

 

This piece of the annual remembrance ritual features a blessing of the captains and boats and a performance from African drum, dance, and song troupe Xaala Mainama. Representatives from the National African American Quilt Guild will present a special quilt commemorating Souls at Sea’s 10th anniversary, as well. Guests will then send off the vessels as they depart for the on-water ceremony on the Miles River.

 

This event is funded through CBMM’s Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

 

“I think it is incredible that we are able to partner with CBMM on our 10th anniversary,” Hartfield said. “We’re always excited to share this ceremony beyond our club. Any time we’re in a public setting, we embrace anyone who is interested in finding out more and learning exactly what we’re doing. Through this collaboration, we hope for the word to go out even farther than ever before.”

 

The Universal Sailing Club was founded by Black sailors Marcus Asante and Michael Campbell in 2001, and a few years later, Hartfield joined the group.

 

With the support of her fellow members, Hartfield planned the first Souls at Sea in 2013, and since that inaugural event in Baltimore, it’s become an annual tradition for the club as a remembrance and libation ceremony modeled on African traditions with a unique Chesapeake flair.

 

“There are many wonderful commemorations that include libation ceremonies that take place on the land,” Hartfield said. “Ours, I like to think, picks up from there.”

 

Following the on-land portion of the Souls at Sea ceremony, the club members sail to a pre-determined spot and raft up before the ceremony resumes. There, they come together in prayer to acknowledge both their ancestors and the deities of the water and engage in a traditional libation ceremony, which is a ritual pouring of water as an offering to the lost souls.

 

The powerful scene is all about acknowledging the estimated two million-plus enslaved Africans who died making the voyage to the Americas over the roughly 350 years of the transatlantic human trade.

 

“What’s special is whether it’s on-land or on-water, we all are experiencing aspects of the ceremony together,” Hartfield said. “The conversation, the drumming, the dancing, the acknowledgement of ancestors, the blessings – we’re all experiencing that as a group, but each one of us is experiencing it individually and connecting with it in our own special way.”

 

Over the past decade, Souls at Sea has made stops across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including visits to Annapolis and Cambridge.

 

This year, the ceremony comes to CBMM and the Miles River for the first time, bringing with it a rare opportunity to connect with the past.

 

“I can’t believe that it’s been 10 years,” Hartfield said. “I remember getting to the three-year milestone and thinking that was amazing. Now getting to the 10-year mark is incredible. I am humbled that we are this point, and people are still excited to come out and do this year after year.”

 

Talisman Therapeutic Riding (Talisman) is sponsoring a fishing tournament and crab feast on August 28. The Rockfish rodeo, with a $1,000 top price, and crab feast will be at the Crab Deck on Kent Narrows. The events are critically important to Talisman’s serving its many communities, including veterans and first responders.

According to Talisman Executive Director Noelle Douglas, when Talisman decided to host its first benefit fishing tournament and crab feast this simmer, “a direct line was cast between the event and our vision of inspiring personal growth and healing by utilizing the great outdoors.” While tack and tackle are different, both activities allow participants to embrace the environment and explore the beauty of our scenic environment, noted Douglas. 

The entry fee for a single angler is $225, which includes the crab feast. The charge for just the crab feast is $110. Call 443-239-9400 or go to www.talismantherapeuticriding.org for additional information and to purchase tickets. Participants can also register online at https: talisman.schoolauction.net/rockfishrodeo2023.

 

Delahaye is the featured Marque of the 16th Annual St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance on Chesapeake Bay, with Bentley Motors as this year’s presenting sponsor. This year Corvette’s 70th  anniversary is being celebrated with an invitational class of racing Corvettes sponsored by Cunningham Automotive.

The September 22-24 event takes place at the Kent Island Yacht Club on the Kent Narrows and includes pre- and post-war classes of automobiles and a selection of Chesapeake Bay yachts and antique boats. Sunday, September 24 is set aside for spectators and offers a day of grand classic motoring, lively music, and Eastern Shore cuisine and libations in a casually elegant waterfront setting.

“The Delahaye’s aerodynamic curves and lines embrace elegance like no other,” says St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance Chairman Luke L. Phipps. “The world-renowned Audrain Auto Museum of Newport is entering a 1951 Delahaye, just one week before their own prestigious Concours & Motor Week. We feel extremely honored by their participation.”

Phipps says the 1951 Delahaye 135M remains in remarkable overall condition, including its very attractive two-tone gray finish, supple red leather interior with exquisite, burled wood trim, and whitewall tires.

The Delahaye’s 135, introduced in Paris in 1935, was a rare model that straddled both the pre-war and post-war eras. It boasted a brand-new chassis with the same 3.6-liter, six-cylinder engine first seen in the earlier Type 138, and it proved to be a remarkable automobile upon its release. The 135 proved to more than hold its own in competition, as it swept the top six places at Marseilles in 1936. In the following years, leading up to the beginning of the Second World War, the 135 further cemented its reputation, taking second place overall at Le Mans in 1937 and placing first, second, and fourth the following year.

“Even today, six decades after the final Delahaye was produced, the famous 135 series cars remain very highly regarded as some of the most compelling French automobiles ever produced,” Phipps says.

The invitational class of Corvettes includes six automobiles known on the racetracks at Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona. The 1960 Corvette Briggs Cunningham Le Mans Racer #1 is a motorsports icon and will be on display at the event. The Corvette was personally driven by Briggs Cunningham and has been fully restored to its original 1960 Le Mans delivery. The 1960 Corvette Briggs Cunningham Le Mans Racer #3—the first Corvette to win 1^st Class at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1960, a title held for more than 40 years—will also be on display, along with a 1956 Corvette SR-2 Racer, the first General Motors purpose-built and sponsored Corvette Racer.

Spectators can also take in the only 1962 Corvette and one of five straight axel Corvettes to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The September/Turner Corvette was placed in the number one position, set by its 5.4-liter engine size. A 1966 Roger Penske Corvette Development L88 #9 will also be on display and is the only midyear Corvette with back-to-back wins in 1966 at Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 12 Hours of Sebring. Wrapping up the invitational class is the 1968 Corvette L88 Rebel #4 Le Mans Racer, built by Toye English’s Red team as the successor to the legendary “Rebel.” This Le Mans Racer completed the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished first in class and third overall at the 1973 24 Hours of Daytona.

Phipps says a single-family-owned 1926 Isotta Fraschini will also be making its first public appearance at this year’s Concours and has been kept in pristine condition by the family since purchased new as a gift for the owner’s Italian grandmother.

An award ceremony takes place Sunday afternoon and includes a Chairman’s Award recognizing one automobile in the Corvette Collector Car Park, with Corvette owners encouraged to attend the event and line the entrance of the Yacht Club. Vendor tents and live music wrap up the event.

“In addition to an array of exceptional award-winning motorcars, we’ll showcase a number of luxury yachts dockside for the event,” says Phipps. “It’s a grand day of celebrating motorsports, restoration excellence, all combined with Eastern Shore hospitality.”

Public day-trippers are encouraged to come by boat, with dockage for weekend transients also available at the Kent Island Yacht Club and Hyatt Place Marina. Slips are limited, with advanced reservations needed, with more by contacting [email protected].

Locally-sourced cuisine and craft libations will be available for purchase from the Kent Island Yacht Club, with early-bird discounted tickets for September 24 and more information about the event at www.smcde.org.

Ready or not, school starts next month! While you’re enjoying the rest of summer break, we are busy at work preparing for the new school year.

Queen Anne’s County Character Counts needs you! Our volunteer coaches are partnered with a K-5 teacher and visits their class twice a month from October to May delivering mini 15-30 minute lessons on the six pillars of character; -Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. Coaches are welcome to design their own age-appropriate lessons or take advantage of the lesson bank we make available to them. There will be training for new coaches this Fall and then optional monthly meetings throughout the school year.

Be a part of a county initiative that is entering its 24th year of providing character education to our county youth and reap the rewards of knowing you are making a difference! Check out our website at www.peopleofcharacter.org or email [email protected] to volunteer.

Mid-Shore Pro Bono has announced its newly elected directors and members to its Board while recognizing the service of two departing Board members. Newly elected officers are President Tim Abeska, Esq., who was elected to serve for a second two-year term, Vice President Dr. Clinton Pettus, Ruth Thomas as Treasurer, and Holland Brownley, Esq, as Secretary, also elected to serve for a second two-year term. Also joining the Executive Committee will be Tony Rodriguez, Esq., Chair of the new Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee.

Tanisha Armstrong, of Salisbury, Maryland, and Arlette Kelly Bright, Esq. of Ocean City, Maryland were elected as new board members, with Sarah Dahl, Esq. of Denton, Maryland, and Samantha Bowers Welte of Easton, Maryland recognized as departing board members.

“Our Board members have direct experience with legal services and the people we serve and share rich connections with the many facets of the community as well,” said Mid-Shore Pro Bono Executive Director Meredith Lathbury Girard, Esq. “These qualifications translate into our ability to successfully meet the dynamic legal needs of people on the Eastern Shore.”

Tanisha Armstrong is a consultant with more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofits in grant writing, board development, and strategic planning. In addition to her consulting, Armstrong’s service includes working as Deputy Director at Tri Community Mediation in Salisbury, Md., and with Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children as a local care team coordinator.

Her volunteer service spans multiple agencies, including training as an alumni recruiter with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee member with Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, and serving as a member of the Lower Shore Vulnerable Populations Task Force. She also served as a Board member for Wicomico Public Libraries.

In 2022, Armstrong received the Delegate Sheree-Sample Hughes Award presented by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and the Chris Anderson WomenLead Scholarship, presented by Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing.

Armstrong is currently pursuing a Master’s Public Health degree at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore as part of their Honors Program.

Arlette Kelly Bright, Esq. is the owner of The Law Offices of Arlette Kelly Bright, P.C. and co-owns and operates with her brother, Sam Greenfield, Bright Title and Settlement Service, LLC, with offices in Salisbury and Ocean City. Her previous legal experience includes working at Piper & Marbury (now DLA Piper), Miles and Stockbridge, and Hyatt & Weber, P.A. Bright also served as Program Director and Facilitator with the Worcester County Child Advocacy Center.

Bright received the American Jurisprudence Award for Interviewing and Counseling and earned membership in the national legal honor fraternity Phi Delta Phi at Widener University School of Law, where she earned the degree of Juris Doctor cum laude.

She also attended The American University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. While at The American University, she earned an Outstanding Scholarship Award and membership into Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Sigma Alpha, both national honor societies. Bright also studied abroad while attending The American University, taking classes at the University of Brussel in Belgium and interned with the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium.

Bright’s service on other boards includes the Worcester County Department of Social Services Advisory Board, Wicomico County Child Advocacy Center Board, Delmarva Zoological Society, Inc, and The Salisbury School Board of Trustees.

Mid-Shore Pro Bono connects Eastern Shore individuals and families in need of legal representation with volunteer attorneys to ensure that justice truly is for all. Civil legal services include family law, housing, life planning, and economic stability. For more information, call 410-690-8128 or go to www.midshoreprobono.org.

The Cordova Historical Society is pleased to invite the community to participate in an exciting event, Cordova Day, taking place on September 23, 2023, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Cordova Firehouse. This event promises a delightful experience for all attendees, featuring a range of activities and attractions that showcase the rich history, talented artisans, and community spirit of Cordova and the Chapel District.

Cordova Day is a unique opportunity for residents and visitors alike to delve into the captivating history of the Cordova/Chapel District through engaging displays and exhibits. Discover the stories and heritage of our community through historical artifacts and captivating visuals, allowing attendees to connect with the past and gain a deeper understanding of the area’s roots.

Supporting local talent and creativity is an integral part of Cordova Day. The event will feature a carefully curated selection of local artisans who will showcase and sell their unique wares. From handmade crafts to stunning artwork, attendees will have the chance to appreciate and support the exceptional skills and creativity found within the Cordova community.

The Cordova Volunteer Firemen’s Association will also open its doors during Cordova Day, welcoming visitors to explore their facilities and learn about their vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the dedicated men and women who serve as volunteer firefighters and express gratitude for their selfless service.

To keep attendees energized and satisfied throughout the day, a delicious lunch and delectable ice cream will be available for purchase. Treat yourself to a delightful meal while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere and engaging activities happening around you.

For additional information and inquiries, please contact the Cordova Historical Society at 410-924-8296 or email [email protected]. We encourage everyone to mark their calendars and spread the word about Cordova Day. Let’s come together as a community and make this event a memorable celebration of our shared heritage and vibrant local culture.

Event Details: Date: September 23, 2023 Time: 10 am – 2 pm Location: Cordova Firehouse Contact: Cordova Historical Society Phone: 410-924-8296 Email: [email protected]