The March of Dimes is asking Eastern Shore residents to save the date in Spring 2009 for the March for Babies. Wicomico County will host a walk on Sunday, April 19, 2009, starting from the Salisbury Moose Lodge at 10:00 AM. Caroline County will be the site of a march on Sunday April 26, 2009, starting at 10:00 AM in Federalsburg. Worcester County has selected Assateague as the site for the walk on Saturday, May 2, 2009, beginning at 10:00 AM. For more information, visit March of Dimes or March for Babies, or call 410-546-2241. The goal of the March of Dimes is to “help moms have healthy pregnancies and give hope to families of babies born too soon or sick.”

I ran across this video on YouTube. It is a short film promoting Wicomico County as the enchanting hub of the Delmarva Peninsula, which offers a unique blend of history, recreation, relaxation and fascination.

The weather forecast looks promising for the 5th Annual Pork in the Park BBQ Festival with various attractions filling the schedule for April 18th-20th. And even with its relatively short history, Pork in the Park can now claim to be one of the nation’s top ten bar-b-que festivals. The fantastic food alone makes the festival worth a visit, but with live music, performers and carnival rides, the event is must see entertainment for all local residents. You can’t beat the price of $2 for admission with kids under 12 getting a free pass through the gates. Check out the schedule on the Pork’s web site and plan your visit to Winterplace Park this weekend.

The month of April brings more athletic events to the Delmarva calendar. The 2008 Eastern Shore Senior Games will kick off the month beginning on April 3rd with the golf competition followed by opening ceremonies and various events on April 4th. Senior Games events include swimming, tennis, track and field as well as many others. The games are organized by Salisbury University, and competition is open to participants age 50 and above.

St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church wants you to “Catch the Spirit” at a 5K Run/Walk on April 12th. The event will be held at The Billy Gene Jackson Park on Jersey Road in Salisbury. In addition to the 5K, the event will offer a one mile walk, DJ music, a post race party, and prize drawings. Registration will start at 8:00 AM with the 5K race beginning at 9:00 AM. The Catch the Spirit 5K benefits the Jessie L. Parker Scholarship Fund. The cost of entry is $12 in advance or $15 on race day. The first 100 registrants will receive a free t-shirt. Entry forms are available at Vernon Powell.

April 12th is also the date for the Ocean City Half Marathon and 5K. The Half Marathon will begin at the inlet in Ocean City. The 5K will start from the park and ride in West Ocean City. Registration information is available online along with race details. The event will be followed by an after party at the Francis Scott Key resort.

The Pemberton Panda 5K will also take place on April 12th which proves to be a busy day for running events this year. This is a 1st Annual event for the Pemberton Elementary School PTA. The 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run will take place at Pemberton Elementary School with check in from 7:30-8:45 AM followed by the 5K start at 9:00 AM. All participants that pre-register for the event will receive a free t-shirt. The 5K race will be timed by the Eastern Shore Running Club. Registration forms are available online.

The Zoo Stampede 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, April 19th. The event supports the Salisbury Zoo. Race day registration will take place from 7:30-8:30 AM at the East Gate of the Salisbury Zoo. The 5K race will start at 9:00 AM, rain or shine. The entry fee is $18 in advance or $20 on race day which includes a free long sleeve tech shirt to the first 125 applicants. Entry forms are available at Vernon Powell or online. The Zoo Stampede will be followed by Earth Day activities from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Salisbury Zoo.

The 3rd Annual Ben Layton Memorial 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, April 26th, at the east entrance of the Salisbury Zoo. The event benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Participants may also follow a 2 mile fun walk course. Event registration will begin at 5:30 PM followed by the 5K Run at 6:30 PM and the 2 mile fun walk at 6:40 PM. The 5K also includes a free buffet dinner provided by the Local Owner Restaurant Association for all registered participants along with shirts for the first 200 entries. The early registration fee will be $25 until April 11th and $30 after that date. Registration forms are available on benlayton5k.com or you can register online at active.com.

Another event that will take place on April 26th is the Wee Race at Wicomico Stadium in Salisbury. The event benefits the Beautification Committee of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and it is sponsored by VP Shoes in Salisbury where you can pick up an entry form. The race fee of $8.00 allows youth ages 2-9 years old to compete in four race divisions from 100 yards to 440 yards.

The Seashore Striders of Delaware list several events taking place in April including The Race for Jill Sunshine 5K in Milton, DE, on April 5th, the Arbor Day 5K Run in Ridgely, MD, on April 12th, the Oxford Day 10K Run in Oxford, MD, on April 26th, and the LDAF Race For Autism 1/2 Marathon/Team Relay/5k/Kids Fun Run in Lewes, DE, on April 27th.

Registration is already closed for the April 26th Pedal Delmarva event, but you can check out their web site for future cycling tours.

Another source for shore events is the Talbot County Multi-Sport Calendar.

With all of these events taking place in our region, there are plenty of opportunities for residents to support local organizations and improve health and fitness through participation in these great activities.

A group of local citizens has organized an effort to raise seed money for a skatepark in Wicomico County. They have established a presence online to promote their cause at SalisburySK8Park.com. The initial goal of Salisbury Skatepark supporters is to raise $30,000 in order to qualify for a grant from Maryland’s Program Open Space.

A Salisbury Skatepark Fundraiser has been scheduled for Sunday, March 30th, at the Wicomico Civic Center. The event will include live music and skateboarding for an admission fee of $10. Details about the fundraiser are available on the Salisbury Skatepark web site. Friends of the Salisbury Skatepark can also pay a visit to MySpace.

The issue of a skatepark in Wicomico County has been discussed at various times over the past several years. One of the first actions of the current Wicomico County Council was to remove funding for a skatepark from their inaugural budget. That action leads me to question a statement made on the Salisbury Skatepark web site.

“Both the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County are in favor of this project, and are willing to donate the land for the skatepark. If the matching funds can be raised, either the City or the County will submit the grant application to the state and work together with us on the construction of the park.”

If the current County Council did not support funding of the skatepark, then I would say that it is stretching it to say that Wicomico County supports a public skatepark. I also wonder why a staff member of the Wicomico County Parks & Recreations Department is listed as a contributor/contact on the Salisbury Skatepark site.

Salisbury Skatepark also claims that “the act of skateboarding is illegal within city limits.” I think the act of skateboarding is probably illegal on private property that prohibits skateboarding and in public areas that are not meant for skateboarding like stairways and railings, but skateboarding as a means of transportation is not illegal.

Salisbury Skatepark needs to stick to the facts, or they will only undermine their effort before it gets off the ground. The biggest obstacle to a public skatepark is the risk of liability that must be taken on by the government entity that owns the park. This same risk of liability is what keeps local governments out of the swimming pool business. Both the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County need to publicly clarify their stand on the issue of a public skatepark to avoid any misconception about their involvement in the Salisbury Skatepark project.

The March calendar is full of opportunities to support local organizations while you follow the 5K courses laid out for upcoming events. Four weekends in March will be occupied by 5K events in the Salisbury area including the 5th Annual Tim Kennard 10 Mile River Run and 5K Run/Walk which will kickoff the month on Sunday, March 2nd. The race is named for a man who lost a courageous battle with cancer, and loyal friends have carried on the cause which benefits Coastal Hospice programs for pediatric cancer care as well as programs for grieving children who have lost a sibling or parent to cancer. The River Run starts at the Maggs Gym on the campus of Salisbury University with 10 mile runners leading the way at 8:30 AM. The event is preceded on Saturday with a Family Sports and Fitness Expo along with registration at the Maggs gym and a pasta dinner at the SU Commons. Registration forms are available online, or you can register at Charmcityrun.com or Active.com.

The Mid-Shore Family YMCA will host the Funny Bunny 5K Run/Walk on March 8th with a starting time of 9:00 AM. The morning will also include a 100yd Bunny Dash, 1/2 Mile Kids Run and an Easter Egg Hunt. Your $15 registration includes a Funny Bunny t-shirt. The registration form can be printed online or you can register on the YMCA web site.

The 9th Annual St. Paddy’s Day 5K Run and 2 Mile Walk will take place on Saturday, March 15th, at the Salisbury Elks Club. The St. Paddy’s Day Run supports the Alzheimer’s Programs & Services of MAC, Inc. The first 200 entries will receive a race t-shirt, and the event will be concluded with a post race awards party. Registration is available on Active.com, or you can sign up on race day. Registration begins at 2:00 PM followed by the start of the run at 3:00 PM.

Rounding out the 5K events for March is the Bennett Middle PTA Viking 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 29th, at Pemberton Historical Park. The Viking 5K is a departure from the normal road races in the area. The Viking 5K will take place on the woodland trails of Pemberton Park with scenic views of the Wicomico River and Pemberton Hall. The first 100 entries for the Viking 5K will receive a free t-shirt. Registration forms for the Viking 5K can be printed online, or you can sign up on race day. The Viking 5K is part of an effort to promote exercise and fitness at Bennett Middle School. Race day registration will start at 9:00 AM followed by the 5K start at 10:00 AM.

The Eastern Shore Running Club is an active supporter of all of these local events, and the ESRC web site is an excellent source for information on local and regional running events.

The Optimist Club of Salisbury is known in the community as a “friend of youth”. The Optimist Club supports many local programs including an oratorical contest for middle and high school students as well as junior golf and girls softball. This weekend the Optimist Club will be raising funds to continue these efforts with the 2008 Home, Garden and Family Show. The show will begins today from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The show continues on Saturday, February 23rd, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and again on Sunday the 24th from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Wicomico Civic Center will be filled with over 100 vendors along with dozens of booths displaying the work of local crafters. Admission for the show is $4 and children 12 and under are free. Support the Salisbury Optimist Club and our local youth with a visit to the 2008 Home, Garden and Family Show.

The Onancock Harborfest will take place on September 7th & 8th, 2007. According to the Harborfest web site:

The event we’ve all been looking forward to is coming soon!! No big city celebrations for us, but Onancock’s very own Harborfest, including the old favorites – Great Big Paper Boat Race; Hospice’s Rubber Duck Race; arcade and other kid games and rides; rock climbing wall; lots of yummy food; musical entertainment; plus lots more. Of course, we’ll also kick Saturday off with the ever important American Heart Association 5K Run/Walk.

The town of Onancock is in Accomack County on the eastern shore of Virginia. Travellers along the Rt. 13 corridor pass by the road to Onancock on a regular basis, but few know that just a mile down the road is one of the jewels of the Delmarva peninsula. The town sits at the head of Onancock Creek, which is a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, and according to the Onancock web site, the harbor is is considered one of the best hurricane holes on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The downtown area of Onancock has a similar feel to the revitalized downtown of Berlin, MD, with an eclectic mix of shops and eateries along with other traditional businesses. Next time you are driving down Rt. 13, take a turn to the west and visit Onancock, VA.

In the past, the Salisbury Riverfest has been a rather nondescript festival without an obvious target audience. This year, the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce has done a better job of communicating the mission of the Riverfest. According to the C of C web site, the Riverfest’s purpose is bringing people together to celebrate and learn about the Wicomico River. Since the Environmental Affairs Committee is responsible for the event, we can infer that event should also promote the health of the Wicomico River and the surrounding habitat.

Riverfest 2007 combines the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, Wicomico Tourism and Urban Salisbury to offer a more inviting schedule of events. Many local environmental groups, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Wicomico Creekwatchers, Salisbury University Bioenvirons Club, Lower Eastern Shore Tributary Team, and Wicomico Environmental Trust (WET), will be on hand to share information and education about the local watershed.

New events for Riverfest 2007 include a ramblin’ raft race as well as kayak races. Visitors to the festival can take free rides on a Chesapeake Bay Foundation workboat and go onboard a tugboat or Coast Guard vessel. Other entertainment includes live music and a classic car show. Salisbury Riverfest 2007 will take place on Saturday, September 8, from 10:00 - 4:00.

The 2007 Sharptown Firemen’s Carnival will come to an end on Saturday. This will be your last chance to sample the traditional oyster fritter sandwiches or purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a new car. The Sharptown Carnival is unique among shore carnivals, because some of the rides are under the cover of a pavillion making the event less susceptible to the whims of Delmarva weather. The first Sharptown carnival was held in 1926, and the event continues to be a popular tradition on the shore. The Bingo Stand was constructed in 1937, and it is the only original building to survive the test of time on the carnival grounds. A visit to the carnival on Saturday would be a great way to celebrate the end of summer.

The 3rd Annual Mater Mania will take place on Sunday, August 19th from 3-6 p.m. at Cedar Hill Park in Bivalve, MD. Mater Mania is sponsored by the Lower Eastern Shore Sustainable Organic Network in partnership with Provident Organic Farm.

Mater maniacs can sample from a selection of tomatoes, salsa, sandwiches, and more. The event will be accented by live folk and blues music, kids’ activities, and a silent auction.

Mater Mania benefits the Medora Harvest Fund, a charitable effort that provides fresh organic vegetables to local families in need. Admission to the event is a suggested entry donation of $5 per adult. Admission for kids is free.

Directions: From highway 50, take Nanticoke Rd (Rt 349) about 16 miles to Bivalve. Cedar Hill Park is on the right.

The 34th Annual Outdoor Fine Art and Fine Craft Exhibit organized by the Rehoboth Art League will continue on August 18th and 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. The Art League event offers:

More than 100 artists and craft persons exhibiting work for sale on the Rehoboth Art League grounds. Free and open to the public. Refreshments available for purchase. Musical and children’s entertainment.

Parking in the Rehoboth area can be a challenge, so the organizers have an alternative available.

Free Shuttle Parking
Rt 1 Northbound between Tomato Sunshine and the Outlet Malls
Holland Glade Road east to the Little League Field on Left.

The Caroline Summerfest will take place on August 18th & 19th in Denton, MD. Activities for the festival will be centered around downtown Denton and Daniel Crouse Memorial Park along the Choptank River. Festival organizers have chosen an Island Escape theme for this year’s event which includes interactive arts events and river cruises. Friday evening’s events include a pedestrian parade with mini-wagon floats at 3rd and Market Street. One highlight of Saturday’s activities will be a fireworks display to cap off the evening. Over 20 vendors will supply visitors with an abundance of food options. A printable schedule of events and map are available on the Summerfest web site.

The entries will be judged on Thursday morning, and then the fair will open at 4:00 for all to see the agricultural and creative offerings of the Wicomico Farm and Home Show 2007. Formerly known as the Wicomico County Fair, the Farm and Home Show will run through Saturday. Everything from arts and crafts to baked goods and vegetables will be on display inside the Carriage House at Winterplace Park on the east side of Salisbury. Outdoor activies will include the livestock show and live entertainment, as well as a car show scheduled for Saturday. Check the schedule of events and make your way out to the fair.

SALISBURY, MD—From wearing shoes held together with safety pins to coloring her skin with markers to disguise holes in her clothes, Jeannette Walls grew up the child of poor, eccentric parents too determined to give up on life.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves thanks to—and often in spite of—their free-spirit mother, a brilliant but often drunk and destructive father, and others who became part of their young lives. Today a freelance correspondent for MSNBC.com, Walls captures her impoverished, sometimes humorous, early life in her memoir The Glass Castle, this year’s SU New Student Reader.

Entertainment Weekly calls The Glass Castle “nothing short of spectacular.” The community will have an opportunity to hear Walls speak about her acclaimed work 6 p.m. Friday, August 24, in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall. A book signing is 5-5:45 p.m. SU Press Release…