Sharptown will be holding a town wide yard sale on Saturday, May 17th, from 7:00 AM to noon. In addition, the Sharptown Historical Museum will be open to visitors at no charge. Raffle tickets will be available for a spring gardening basket for $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.

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.

The Wicomico County Board of Education has posted the proposed calendar for the 2008-2009 school year. WCBOE is also asking for public input on the calendar. The start and finish of the proposed 08-09 school year remain in the same weeks of the calendar as the current schedule. The proposed calendar lists the first day of school on August 25th, 2008, and the last day of school on June 10th, 2009. The Winter and New Year’s holidays will provide a full two week break in 08-09 compared to the seven school days off for the current calendar. The proposed calendar repeats the four day weekend in late October following the MSTA Convention, and Spring Holidays will move to April in 2009. The Board is expected to adopt the 08-09 calendar at the April 8th meeting.

Citizens should also note that the current school calendar has been adjusted due to school closings caused by weather this winter. The last day of school in Wicomico County will now be Tuesday, June 10th, instead of the original date of Friday, June 6th.

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 Wicomico County Board of Education announced the selection of Dr. John Fredericksen as superintendent effective July 1, 2008. Dr. Fredericksen will relocate to Wicomico County from a suburb of Minneapolis, MN, where he currently serves as Assistant Superintendent. The next phase of Fredericksen’s 35 year career will bring him and his wife to a region of the country that is closer to other family members. The Osseo Area school district that Dr. Fredericksen is leaving has a student enrollment about 50% larger than Wicomico County. Fredericksen was one of five candidates that was interviewed in person by board members. The appointment of Dr. Fredericksen brings to a close the two year process that was managed by the superintendent search firm Ray and Associates. According to the search firm:

Thirty-four candidates completed an application for the post, including six from Delmarva. There were no applicants among current employees of the Wicomico County Board of Education.

According to Robin Holloway, president of the Wicomico County school board:

Dr. Fredericksen’s demonstrated instructional leadership, student achievement focus and district level experience in working successfully with the community made him a very strong candidate early on.

The new superintendent will begin the term of his four year contract after the end of the current school year.

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 Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council has unveiled its new web site at www.543arts.com. Local residents might recognize the similarity between this address and the easily remembered phone number of SWAC at 410-543-ARTS. SWAC had been lacking an internet presence for an extended period of time before the new site was unveiled. According to an article in the Spring 2008 edition of Accent on the Arts, the new site was funded in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

The home page of the SWAC site highlights the focus areas of the organization which include an artists’ registry, membership and event calendar. The site also provides information on scholarships and grants that are awarded each year to qualifying students and organizations. This new web presence will be a great tool in helping the organization fulfill its mission of promoting the art and artists of the lower shore region and connecting our local arts community to the surrounding audience of the entire Delmarva Peninsula. SWAC is an integral part of the local arts community and provides support for other organizations including the Art Institute and Gallery in downtown Salisbury and the Salisbury Film Society which presents a Fall and Spring film series on the campus of Wor Wic Community College. Check out SWAC on the web to find out what’s happening in the local arts community.

Despite aging facilities, inadequate classroom space, and increasingly difficult social environments, the teachers and administrations of Maryland schools have achieved the rank of 3rd in a recent survey by Education Week. Check out the results in Quality Counts on the Education Week web site.

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.

I have two kids who are preparing for the back to school season next week. They are excited to see some of their friends that they have not seen over the summer. I am just hoping that the upcoming school year will not provide us with too many disappointments from the schools of Wicomico County. My daughter was talking about schools in Talbot County the other day because her grandparents had told her that every student in Talbot County high schools gets a laptop computer. Talbot County has a program called the One to One Laptop Initiative. Through this program, every 9th grade student in Talbot County gets a laptop computer that they will use until graduation. The plan is to extend the program to 8th grade students in 2010. Talbot County is using a combination of government funding, grants and community donations to make this program possible.

My daughter is entering Parkside High School this year, and she is concerned that she won’t get a locker for her belongings because another student told her that sometimes there weren’t enough lockers to go around. She is just leaving Bennett Middle School where some classes could not bring textbooks home because other classes had to share them. We have seen an extremely high turnover rate among teachers, and I also heard a rumor that some classes at Bennett Middle may have as many as 36 students in a classroom this year. This makes it difficult to get excited about the upcoming school year, but like many parents, we will be active in the PTA and hope for the best.

I will have to spend some time trying to rationalize a solution to the continuing decline in the quality of education in Wicomico County. My first theory would be that a combination of fiscal restrictions due to the revenue cap and the physical restrictions of our overcrowded school buildings are the main contributors to this decline. We are surrounded by school districts that provide a more attractive venue for teachers, and it makes me admire even more the teachers who have remained dedicated to the students of Wicomico County. So tomorrow we will join hundreds of other families on Back to School Night to pick up schedules and meet teachers. Hopefully we will have good things to say in June, 2008, after 180 days of school in Wicomico County.

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 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.

The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art is one of the jewels of Wicomico County tourism. The museum started out on the campus of Salisbury University. At the peak of decoy popularity in the late 1980’s, the nonprofit organization was able to mount a fund raising campaign that enabled the group to finance the beautiful facility that we enjoy on Schumaker Pond. Unfortunately, the nonprofit group underestimated the overhead costs of running such a large facility while they overestimated the income from donations and annual memberships. The organization was able to keep its head above water for several years, but in the year 2000 reality kicked in. According to a Daily Times story of March 6, 2000:

Salisbury State University announced Friday it will take over the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art - a deal hailed by school officials as a better way to showcase authentic Eastern Shore culture and save the financially strapped wildfowl museum from bankruptcy.

No money was exchanged in the deal that calls for the university to take control of the museum’s $8.5 million in assets and assume its $1.6 million in debt - incurred during 1992 to pay for the Beaglin Park Drive building.

This story is just one more example of the difficulty that arts organizations face in our county. The momentum and enthusiasm for these groups have a limited shelf life. There is usually a small core group that spearheads the initial efforts, and once they pass the torch on for others to carry, the flame slowly dies out. The call for an increase in the art and culture available in our community is an admirable one, but the reality is that Salisbury and Wicomico County do not fit the demographics that make the efforts successful. Rather than trying to create something new, the local supporters of art should look at the entire region from Easton to Rehoboth to Berlin and everywhere in between as our arts community and find a way to incorporate Salisbury into that mix.

One asset that offers bountiful art and cultural activities to our community is Salisbury University. When classes are in session, there are events available to the public on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis, ranging from theatre and music to art and culture. The calendar for these events is available on the university’s web site, and a printed list is often included in the Money Mailer that many people receive in the mail and discard without opening.

The efforts of local citizens to add to the culture of our area are admirable, but the best place for those efforts are in the events and organizations that already exist.