Marrick Homes and Kaine Homes are both working towards renovating and selling this two-story historic home in the coming year. The home was formerly owned by John W. Williams and was built by Mr. William’s great-great-great grandfather in the late 18th century. It was unusual for Calvert County at its time with its Italianate details. The home appeared to have been constructed in two phases. The big significance of this house is that it reflects a change in the farmhouse through time and owners by way of alterations to the property. It’s believed that the details of the home were in mimic of the Barreda mansion to the south of Drum Point. The home has been moved about 500 feet from its original location.

For more information and history on this property, please contact our office.

Special thank you to the Historic Preservation Planner with Calvert County Planning and Zoning for the above information!

Per the Maryland State Department of Education’s website….
Calvert County – Calvert High School
Julie Morrison, Mathematics, Grades 9-12
Julie Morrison has been a Mathematics and Science teaching professional for 12.5 years. At Calvert High School, she won the 2011 SMECO Mathematics Teacher Award. Julie supervises the Minority Achievement Committee Scholars Program and increased Honors Algebra 2 enrollment by 15 percent. Her students exceeded the county midterm average even with a more inclusive enrollment. Julie provides afterschool tutoring for at-risk students, lunch math assistance and SAT prep classes, and leads staff development opportunities for differentiated learning strategies. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Marshall University and a Master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Congratulations to Julie and all the nominees for such an amazing accomplishment. We look forward to finding out who wins TEACHER OF THE YEAR on October 14, 2011.

To read bios on the other teachers, please visit the news release on the state’s website from May.

Trees provide a variety of benefits, including improved air quality and making our communities beautiful! Happy Planting!

During the month of July, the College of Southern Maryland will host and perform outdoor entertainment at all three campuses. The best part? These events are FREE! All you need are lawn chairs or a blanket. Feel free to bring a picnic or you can purchse food from the caterers who will be available on-site.

These events are outdoors, rain or shine, and begin at 6:45 p.m. The first performance is tonight, so please visit their website for schedules and more information. Enjoy!

Mimi explained to us the basic requirements to research and prepare when planning your garden:
1. Soil-Type (clay, sandy or loam,) Fertility (test the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and PH (minerals more available in soil closest to neutral 6.0-7.0)
2. Light-Too much light equals wilted plants with long, leggy shoots. Too little light equals short plants with few leaves.
3. Water-Too much water equals plant/root rot. Too little water equals shriveled leaves and spaghetti-like roots
4. Climate-Only plant what can survive in the area you live (we are a zone 7A)
5. Essential tools-Trowel, shovel, garden hoe, rake and hand pruners are all examples

We also found out some great plants for beginner gardeners!
Herbs-Chives, Mint, Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro
Vegetables-Cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, green beans and tomatoes
Flowers-Black Eyed Susan, Shasta Daisy, Sedum

Want to become a part of Master Gardener? Visit their website for more information!

And a shout out to our Design Manager, Shannon, who has quite an extensive garden herself! Who knew the time and care that went into planning and maintaining…but what a wonderful result!

Chef Luis prepared two AMAZING soups for us and taught us several kitchen techniques, for example the proper way to chop an onion and how to prepare garnishes for the soups.

Check out these soup recipes. Not only did we have the pleasure of eating them, they were also served at Project Echo’s Empty Bowl Supper last month. Try them out and let us know what you think!

Blondie’s is a new bakery and cafe owned by Cindy Selby in the heart of North Beach. The shop offers a huge variety of treats, from lattes and blueberry scones for breakfast to “The Blonde Bombshell” sandwich for lunch and a Mocha Caramel Crunch cupcake for dessert. In addition, Blondie’s creates cakes for any occassion (weddings, birthdays) and also caters events. They provide cheese, breads and spreads at the Running Hare Vineyard for Sunday wine tastings and also have a booth at the Farmer’s Market Friday evenings in North Beach.

Want to see what other people are saying about Blondie’s? Visit their Yelp review page and be sure to provide your own rating once you visit.

If you guessed Prime Wine and Spirits in Prince Frederick, you’re right! Bonus points if you guessed he was there wine tasting!

Prime Wine and Spirits is located in the Chapline Place Shopping Center next to The Hair Cuttery. This store has a HUGE variety of beverages and features a “Make Your Own Six Pack” with an extensive line of beer and ales to choose from.

Almost every Friday evening, Prime Wine and Spirits hosts a wine tasting with the opportunity to sample up to six different wines. Occassionally, they host other events as well. Be sure to check out their competitive prices too!

Visit their website and also friend them on Facebook for regular updates on their products and services!

The clubhouse has a variety of features, making it a sports enthusiast dream. The indoor artificial turf field, which is one of a kind in Southern Maryland, will host training opportunities for lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey players. There are mutiple indoor fields for football, baseball and softball and courts for basketball and volleyball. Batting cages and golf cages complete this multi-sport facility. A pro-shop and snack bar are available for your downtime between sports and there are individual locker rooms for men and women to utilize.

For more information, please visit www.wilsonennisclubhouse.com. We hope everyone takes advantage of this fantastic addition to our county!

Photo Courtesy of EarthEasy.com

We may be more than half way through Summer but we still have plenty of hot days ahead of us.  Below you will find a few very important tips to help keep your yard healthy and happy on a warm day:

1. Do not over-water your lawn!   Grass reaches deep with its roots for moisture, so water about once a week.  Water heavily, about an inch or two, for best results.
2. Do not cut your grass short!  By giving your lawn an extra inch or so in length, your allowing the blades to shade your roots from the sun.  Healthy roots grow longer and stronger.
3. Do fertilize your grass every 2 months or so.  Healthy, fed grass produces thick, even blades that cool down the soil and maintain your grass even in hot weather.
4. Last but not least, the best time to water your lawn is early morning.  You have the best chance of avoiding evaporation at this time of day.

Combining the above tips will leave you with a healthy yard for the remainder of Summer and the hot beginning days of Fall!