Mary Felter's Blog

Embassy tour and crab soup

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What a pleasure it was on Saturday last to participate in the European Union's open houses at several embassies in Washington, D.C. My husband Bob Felter and I enjoyed calling at the German Embassy on Reservoir Road, where we gathered up commercial and tourism information, toured the gardens, ate bratwurst and met the German ambassador. Visitors also enjoyed free chocolates, various wines, other sausages and pastries - yum! In addition we were allowed to see the first floor of the ambassador's private residence, where high ceilings, elegant dining facilities and a library are located.

�

After two busy hours we ventured to the French Embassy, also on Reservoir Road, where we gathered up more travel information and learned what battles the French military DID win (there is that standard joke about the French losing so many battles, but they do have victories, guys).� More wine was available, of course, but since I was driving, I didn't imbibe.

�

Lastly we found our way to the House of Sweden, near K and 29^th streets N.W.,where we visited the embassy roof for a dramatic view of the Potomac River, Georgetown and the Kennedy Center before touring the exhibit on Swedish culture. Who designed the first Coke bottle? The Swedes. They've always been known for cutting edge design, and the exhibit was top drawer, as the English say. We also viewed "The Red Houses" exhibit, which is open to the public through June 8. Red houses and buildings are an "inherent part of the Swedish cultural heritage and cultural landscape." Falu red paint is used everywhere, from aristocratic castles of the 1600s to manor houses and churches in the 1700s, farms and barns in the 1800s and then on working class homes and summer houses of the 1900s. Today you'll find this classic red paint on museums and modern houses.

�

A book has been published entitled "The red houses," with photos of windmills, bridges, castles, barns, stables, transformer stations, oh well, on and on. You'll enjoy seeing how the red paint is incorporated everywhere in this Scandinavian country with only three major cities.

�

"Google" www.eurunion.org and see what other activities are going on related to the embassies this month. There also is a publication called "Embassy Events" which charges a reasonable fee for 6 issues during the year and keeps you informed on activities open to the public.

�

With temperatures hovering in the 80s, we descended on the nearby Washington Harbor on the Potomac River, found a cool restaurant and scarfed up a delicious salad for an early dinner before returning to Annapolis and the Annapolis Symphony's closing concert of the season. The Harbour Center is located near the Whitehurst Freeway, just south of the Wisconsin Avenue- K Street intersection. Odd architecture, with delightfully cool fountains, but obviously a favorite neighbor hangout for all.

�

Keep an eye out for a bit of traffic Sunday morning, hopefully before the rain returns, when St. John's College will host its 216^th commencement ceremony on the front lawn at 10:30 a.m. The speaker will be Bruce Cole, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Cole was previously a distinguished professor of art history and professor of comparative literature at Indiana University in Bloomington.

�

Since he joined NEH in 2005, he's started "We the People," an initiative to encourage the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. It includes summer workshops at our country's historic landmarks to enhance teachers' knowledge of American history. There's also a program to distribute classic children's books to libraries and schools in the country.

�

Graduating from St. John's are Annapolis residents Gregory Ross Singer and Aurora Date Rivendale and West River resident Sterling Alexander Schlegel. Receiving a master's degree will be John Talbot Manvel Jr. of Annapolis and Miriam Shulamit Jacobs of Severna Park.

�

The annual "Maryland Seafood Festival may be gone for this year, but a crab soup cook-off between area restaurants will still be held this September, if the O'Neills of Admiral Heights have anything to do with it.

�

The Ultimate Crab Soup Cook-Off will be held Sept. 6 at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Karma O'Neill, who was president of the Seafood Festival between 2004 and 2006, and her husband, Sean, entertainment chairman for seven years, have revived one of the most popular parts of the festival. Besides the cook-off, there will be entertainment, activities for children, other food for sale, and displays and vendors associated with "green" efforts.

�

Admission into the crab soup cook-off tent, where there will be samples of the soups in the contest, is $10. There is no charge for the rest of the event.

Sean also is president of the Admiral Heights Improvement Association, living near Weems Creek, and is totally conscious about the problems in the creek. It has experienced the damage caused by storm-water runoff, algae blooms, and fish kills.

Proceeds will be donated to the Weems Creek Conservancy, the Admiral Heights Improvement Association's Weems Creek watershed revitalization efforts, and a local soup kitchen. For information, call Karma at 410-268-5813 or visit www.admiralheights.org.

Who wrote the best music?

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have to admit to being highly prejudiced about the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, having served on its board for nearly a decade, and I must confess a love for classical music. We are most fortunate to have such an orchestra right here. So I'm sharing some news about the composition competition as it comes to a close.

Classical music lovers in this area who have been following the Charter 300 Composer Competition with the ASO have only to wait until the end of May to learn who won. The final selection process is underway with four impressive judges joining Music Director Jose-Luis Novo in this decision.

The world-class panel members are Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Gerard Schwarz, music director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Eastern Music Festival; Bright Sheng, composer; and Joshua Kosman, music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle. The final judging also includes a vote from the ASO musicians and a vote from ASO audiences. The latter votes will be awarded from survey scores that were collected from players and attendees at the premieres of each work throughout the just completed 47th season.

The competition began in the fall of 2006 as part of the City of Annapolis' international celebration of the city charter's 300th anniversary in 2008. Funded by a grant from the City of Annapolis' Art In Public Places Commission, the competition resulted in the commissioning and world premieres of four new symphonic works. The project will end in a professional, commemorative Annapolis Charter 300 recording by the ASO.

Planned for November 7-8 this fall, the recording will be captured live from the Lexus Classic Series performances, "Three Symphonic Centuries." The winning work will be included along with works marking each century of the charter's 300-year history - Corelli's Concerto Grosso, Op. 6 No. 9 (1708), Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor (1808), and Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole (1908).

�

Finally I got to read my May issue of Southern Living, and paged through the Mid-Atlantic news section - and found Chick & Ruth's Delly featured in the "People and Places: Local Flavor" section. You'll find a photograph of Ted Levitt, owner and magician, and the article also mentions his wife Beth and their grown-up children Lauren and Scott.

�

�� And also mentioned in the magazine is Caroline's Cakes off Route 50 near Whitehall Road. Owner Caroline Reutter ships her confections around the country. But I also like the lobster rolls she sells Thursdays through Sundays! Mmmm, good.

The circus is coming!

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The circus is coming, the circus is coming!

For those of you who like taking your kids or grandkids to see pachyderms, acrobats, trapeze artists, a human cannonball and colorful costumes, the Cole Bros. Circus comes to town Wednesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 8, at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in Crownsville. Two shows are scheduled, at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. daily. Get there early in the morning, like 7 a.m., and watch the elephants help raise the tents!

The Annapolis Optimist Club is again sponsoring this springtime event which helps to raise money for the non-profit club's projects - for 40 years need-based programs for adults. After all, its international motto is "Bringing Out the Best in Kids."

Diann Turner said you can get more information at www.annapolisoptimist.org or see www.tickets.com for tickets. You also can call 1-888-332-5300 or find tickets at Tara's Gifts and Parties of Distinction at 4 Annapolis Street and Cate's Creamy Custard near Sears at Westfield Annapolis Mall. Save $5 off adult tickets by purchasing them in advance. You also can call 410-295-5010 for information. Contact Bonnie Hitzelberger at 410-268-1783 to learn about becoming an Optimist.

Maria Day from Historic Annapolis Foundation sent me the following information about some award-winning students and a poster contest HAF conducted.

Congratulations and thanks go to those who participated in the Preservation Month Student Poster Contest. Winners, their families, and preservation enthusiasts will join HAF for an informal awards reception on Tuesday evening, May 6, at HistoryQuest at the St. Clair Wright Center on 99 Main Street. For more information on the invitation-only event, contact Jennifer Orrigo, Director of Preservation Services, at 410-267-8146.

Winners of the middle school category include Aleah Pisarz in first place, Hana Baker in second place, and Milton Tongue, Jr. in third place.� Winners from the 4^th and 5^th grade category include Kyle Coffelt in first place, Ross Foca in second place, and Riley Williams in third place. Jordan Alton won honorable mention for "creativity" and Patrick Jensen won honorable mention for "tradition." The winners will receive gift certificates and the grand prize winner, Miss Pisarz, will receive a family membership to the foundation..�

HAF partners Suzanne Owens and M. Terry Poisson, the students' art/social studies teachers, and contest jurors will celebrate the young artists and their work. Author and historian Ann Jensen, Graham Landscape architect Abbi Huntzinger, artist and manager of the Maryland Federation of Art Tory Coale, and artist entrepreneur Cindy Fletcher-Holden reviewed the contest entries and selected the winners.

The posters created by these talented students to express the importance of historic preservation in Annapolis will be mounted with historical information and archival pictures and displayed for all to see at HistoryQuest throughout May, which is National Preservation Month, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free and no reservations are required. Amble on downtown and check out their contributions.

The Friends of the Annapolis Symphony�Orchestra, better known as FASO, is having its annual fashion show fundraiser at 11:30 a.m. May 13 at�the DoubleTree Hotel. Yours truly gets to wear an Ahni fashion on the runway. Tom Marquardt, publisher and formerly my boss at The Capital, will be the emcee. Also on the runway will be Linnell Bowen; Veronica Tovey, What's Up? publisher; Mayor Ellen Moyer; and Anne Potter, symphony board chairman; joined by Keren Dement, Sharon Dickerson, Beth�Dolezal, Pat Edwards and Adele Baron.� Florence Smoot is event chairman. Tickets are $40 and reservations must be made by May 9. Send a check to FASO, P.O. Box 1974, Annapolis, MD 21404. Call Edie Wolf at 410-897-0119 for membership information or visit www.annapolissymphony.org.�You also�can call Florence at 410-280-5405 and let her know which menu choice you wish.

��By the way, please send me your news for use on this blog, especially those items we learn about long after our magazine has "gone to press" and I'll try to let our readers know. Call me at 410-267-9390, Ext. 128, for any questions related to the blog, make a comment, or e-mail me at mfelter@WhatsUpMag.com. Thank you.

And everyone enjoy the renovated City Dock especially during the Maritime Festival this weekend!

Green

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I thank the Washington Post for last Sunday's Outlook section which addressed eco-issues from the perspective of "green" legislation and personal strategies to contribute to a smaller carbon footprint. After reading Steven Mufson's article on "Is This Green Enough? We Can Clean Up Our Act, But It'll Cost Us," I feel educated about the pros and cons of corporate trade-offs and credits on emissions, potential legislation, the positions of presidential candidates, and even the futility we all feel at times.

�

Ed Begley Jr.'s piece made me smile - because he's not just a freak who is a hippie-like hangover of the 1960s. He's actually helping to turn us 180 degrees and is a mentor/example of what we can do. (I don't plan to cycle for 15 minutes to make toast, however. But I have changed the light bulbs, I do use public transit, I do recycle paper, etc.)

�

Sandra Tsing Loh presents the sometimes one-upmanship game her friends exhibit with who's doing a better job at decreasing the carbon footprint - and realistically discussing how it is going to cost us a heck of a lot of money to make changes, such as installing solar panels. Doing good can be costly - and sometimes you have to accomplish it without recouping your financial expenses.

�

With gasoline over $3.50 a gallon and food costs escalating, it's difficult to ask people living on the edge financially to invest in something like solar power. In our own homes we can purchase energy-efficient appliances. But we need to make ENERGY STAR appliances affordable so that those with less can buy them. And heavens, fuel-efficient Toyota Prius cars are too expensive for the average guy, even with tax credits. (And the vehicles use chemicals that are potentially pollutants, too - you can't win!) But perhaps you can plant deciduous trees on the south side of your house to shade your home and therefore use less electricity to cool it in the summer time (or use a fan instead of the A.C.) �That's a simple yet effective and "cheap" step.

�

This is drastic to some, but a long time ago I agreed with population awareness advocate Werner Fornos. We are outgrowing our Earth, and people are using too many resources to sustain ourselves and the planet. Have fewer children; adopt children.

�

So solutions are varied, difficult and expensive. I would suggest we start in our own backyards, like Ed Begley Jr.

�

Earth Day

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Good morning on this Earth Day! Are you doing anything special this day to take care of our planet?
I don't claim to be the world's best caretaker, but I try.
We recycle our newspapers� - I'm sorry, I don't want to read online - I work at a computer all day, and sitting on the living room sofa reading a newspaper with a drink (tea, soda, water, lemonade or wine if it's evening) is satisfying. It also helps with computer�eye strain, and no wrist motion is necessary except to turn the page! At any rate, we deposit them all - the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post and The Capital, at curbside on Thursdays along with our cans and bottles, magazines and junk mail, especially the overflowing catalogs (I am trying to get off mailing lists).
We plant perennials usually - it also helps the budget in the long run - but I confess to loving annuals. So we recycle the plastic pots and the flats. We also use our mulched leaves (with more than 20 trees in our yard you can imagine the leaves) for compost - and toss in vegetable and fruit cuttings as well.
We use cold water for the laundry and make sure the dishwasher is full before doing a load - it uses less water than washing dishes�in the kitchen sink, supposedly. And yes, we are changing the light bulbs. And driving less. We use light rail in Baltimore and the D.C. Metro, too, whenever possible. So we try in our small way to treat Mother Earth with respect.
And now a slightly different topic - check your car headlights and blinkers to see if they are operational. I can't tell you how many times I see cars with non-working lights on the highways. This morning at the Ritchie Highway and College Parkway traffic light I put the car in park, jumped out and went to the car behind me to tell the driver her left headlight was out. Shocked look on her face - either from a stranger approaching or her not knowing...but she thanked me. And I'll thank you if you enlist some help to check if your brake lights work as well!
Another topic: Want to learn more about composting? You should check with Quiet Waters Park about its composting demonstrations - I think the Master Gardeners show you how to accomplish this simple task. They usually have an event twice a month.
Speaking of QWP, the Blue Heron Room will be the site of the fourth annual Swinging Sweets, a benefit presented by the Zonta Club of Annapolis for its service projects. The event is set for 7 to 9 p.m. May 8 where you can taste and judge chocolate confectioneries provided by area eateries. Mmmm, and all for $15. You also can enjoy music by the Spa Creek Swing Band. Zonta is having a gasoline raffle as well. Spend $5 for a chance to win a $250 gas card.
For more details, contact Barbara Taylor at 410-267-9114 or e-mail her at bgtaylor03@verizon.net.
And here's some sweet�fun news about a St. John's College alumnus. Celeste DiNucci, Class of 1987, joined the elite group making it to the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. (She won more than $50,000 on the show during the previous year.} She emerged the tournament victor with a $250,000 cash prize. That should help with any lingering student loans! She's completing a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania, working on a dissertation on Shakespeare and performance theory. She's using some of the winnings to take a trip to Italy and graduates in�May. Now she has to figure what she's going to do when she really grows up, she told The College magazine, published by St. John's.
And as the sun starts to peek out today, enjoy its warmth and our wonderful Annapolis spring.

Mary

Tea time.

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My blog of social events and people is a few days behind on the schedule, and there's lots to see and do in town!

St. John's College always something good to offer, including "Imagine and Imagination: Anne Arundel County Juried Exhibition" with works by our friends and neighbors included in the show May 28 to June 11. Presented in a variety of media by amateurs and professionals, the Mitchell Gallery show will be judged by nationally known curator Stephen Bennett Phillips. Stephen is associate curator at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Among the more than 25 artists are Erika Walsh, Lee Boynton, Don Dement, Mary Arthur, David Ashman, Phyllis Saroff, Martin Beadle, John Eberberger, Cindy Fletcher-Holden, Neil Harpe, Jean Brinton Jaecks, Warren Kahle, and Richard Niewerth.�Take your family to the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 25. It will feature a creative St. John's student band, and a poetry reading with Rod Jellema and Martin Galvin.� Hydee Schaller, gallery director, said the community art exhibit represents "the artistic talent of St. John's students, faculty, staff, and alumni." It's definitely eclectic, with works ranging from photography and watercolor to pastels and ceramics.

All you dog lovers can enjoy the Canines and Cocktails for a Cause to be held at Loews Annapolis Hotel on West St. The event is on the last Friday of every month now through September from 5 to 8 p.m. While you sip your drinks, your four-legged friends can taste delicious water and special gourmet dog food. A portion of the proceeds will go to animal rescue groups.

The hotel holds the functions to let the public know that Loews Hotels accept guests with animals and to help these non-profits.

Also don't forget this Saturday�will be the date of�the seventh annual Boatyard Bar and Grill opening day fishing tournament, the Quiet Waters Park Earth Day celebration and GreenScape 2008. Sunday you can wear Great Gasby type clothing and enjoy the croquet match between St. John's and the Naval Academy starting at noon on the college's front campus. See our What's Up? calendar of events.

While receiving alerts from Google on anything related to Annapolis (from the�croquet match to the peace talks), I came across the Annapolis Tea Company. Also affectionately known as ATeaCo, it is located in Albuquerque, N.M., of all places. It has been in business since September 2007. Owner Amy Lee's fascination with tea started from her travels to far off lands.

Many assume that ATeaCo is a chain based in Annapolis (no, we have the Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company here instead!). The owner chose the name because she grew up in Annapolis and has fond memories of her youth here. The website mentions the Peggy Stewart tea party where thousands of pounds of tea disappeared when the ship was burned. So the next time you travel to Albuquerque, stop by and share greetings with a former Annapolitan.

I can't complete this week's comments without mentioned the passing of two wonderful and strong women who contributed to our community - Esther Carpenter, who headed the Department of Social Services and volunteered with many civic boards, and Peg Wallace, known for her support of Eastport, particularly to the Annapolis Maritime Museum where she was the first chairman. Both were feisty and regal in their own ways, and we are the better for their devotion and spirit.

-----

Mary P. Felter is senior editor at What's Up? Publications and was formerly community news editor at The Capital newspaper for 21 years.

Caring for the Earth

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I�appreciate those who responded to my tirade against drivers who throw their cigarettes
etc., out their car windows. I'm printing about 125 bumper stickers with the words: Earth is
your outdoor living room. Use your ashtray. (As in you wouldn't throw your cigarettes on your
inside living room floor, would you? Or maybe you would....). I plan to sell them for a rea-
sonable price with proceeds to benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Jimmy Martin at
Free State Press is taking care of my order and as soon as they arrive, I'll let you know.
The bumper stick should be dark blue font on white background so you can read it!

Speaking of our planet...just a reminder that GreenScape 2008 is scheduled for April 19, a
day for us to get out and clean up our city's gardens and parks. Check with your civic or
community association to see what might be in place and how you can help to make this
area such a pretty place. It's time to weed and prune and in general maintain these areas.

Check with the City of Annapolis at 410-263-7993 for information about groups that are
scheduled to work in case you are not a member of any particular neighborhood association
and want to lend a hand. We also have an article about GreenScape 2007 written for
What's Up? magazines last year on our Web site. Google GreenScape and it should come
up under WhatsUpMagazines.

Upcoming

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Here's information on some events happening around the city (and our "suburbs") that What's Up? Publishing recently received past our print deadlines. So I'm publicizing them on line.

�

Just a reminder that the London Town Foundation, which supports Historic London Town and Gardens in Edgewater, is having a spring benefit for the first time ever.

"Rediscovering London Town" will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. this Friday, March 28, at the Visitors Center at 839 Londontown Road, with a silent auction, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts. From 5 to 6 p.m. you can take free tours of the gardens, the William Brown House, the carpenter shop, the Lord Mayor's Tenement and the archaeology lab.

Tickets are $60. For information, e-mail events@historiclondontown.org or call 410-222-1919. Proceeds will benefit this little county gem. If you haven't ever visited it, plan on a spring day and see the marvelous azaleas in bloom. And read our article about the site in our June issue of What's Up? Annapolis magazine. (www.WhatsUpMag.com)

�� Also on our Web site we will have an exclusive article about pharmaceuticals and other items in the Chesapeake Bay. Related to the Chesapeake Bay, former Maryland State Senator and University of Maryland Professor Gerald W. Winegrad will talk about "What Needs to be Done to Restore the Bay? as part of the evening lecture series sponsored by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The talk on the status of the Bay's restoration and what needs to happen is at 7 p.m. April 16 in the Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, also in Edgewater. Among many activities, Gerald was responsible for many Bay initiatives including the phosphate detergent ban. He received the 2002 Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. For information, call SERC at (301) 238-2737.

welcome, one and all

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to my blog -which will cover what's happening in town, thoughts about the cultural arts and how you can support various causes, and, in general, my quirky opinions and protests.

For instance, this morning on the way to work, I noticed a driver tossing a cigarette out of her car window. Hello, do you have an ashtray? We're trying to clean up the Bay! Earth is your outdoor living room - do you throw cigarette butts on your floor at home? If the traffic weren't so bad, I'd get out of my car and hand the trash back.

Okay, change of pace.

I was lucky enough to attend the March 5 dress rehearsal of "Carmen" by the Annapolis Opera, and was most impressed by the costumes, the sets, and of course the singing and dancing by chorus and soloists. But time was short, and Maestro Ron Gretz abruptly cut off the orchestra exactly at 10:30 p.m., right in the middle of the final death scene - you run over rehearsal time and you starting paying extra to the musicians.

At least there were curtain calls so we could applaud the performance, even as orchestra members were packing up their instruments. Astonishing. Can you imagine a surgeon leaving a surgical suite in the middle of an operation because it was taking a bit too long?

So while we all left the auditorium, we saluted the singers and smiled in spite of the financial reality. Opera is such an expensive art. At least both the Friday and Sunday performances were sold out - proving again that "Carmen" remains one of the world's most popular operas. If you want opera information, call (410) 267-8135 or visit www.annapolisopera.org. (Next time, intermissions need to be shorter, maybe?)

graduation day

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Free and open to the public, St. John's College's graduation (on May 11 at 10:30 a.m. on the front campus) is simple and rich with tradition. Eva Brann, the college's longest-serving tutor, will carry the ceremonial mace, an ornamental staff borne as a symbol of authority, when she leads the procession of faculty and students on the tree-lined front walk to the graduation site. There on the front campus a handful of prizes and honorable mentions will be awarded before each student receives a diploma and is congratulated by President Christopher B. Nelson.

At this Great Books liberal arts college, the seniors select the speaker, rather than the administration. Can you imagine? Less politics involved, I'll bet you. This year St. John's seniors chose Bruce Cole, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for their ceremony.

The festivities are next to the 30-foot tall poplar oak, planted in 2007 and a gift from last year's senior class to replace the former Liberty Tree that succumbed to old age and weather. Its passing was a sad day, and all rejoiced when a new tree was planted next to where the old had stood. After diplomas are awarded, a reception features strawberries and cream as well as champagne. There seems to be a theme here on food/drink?

naval gazing

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For all you who are military-conscious, our namesake submarine is back - at least in the United States. The U.S.S. Annapolis returned home to Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn., on Feb. 28 after a regularly scheduled six-month deployment. It was overseas as part of an operation called African Partnership Station, a U.S. Naval Forces Europe-led initiative to "enhance operative partnerships with regional maritime services in West and Central Africa," according to the Navy's press release. Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Miller, executive officer, said the U.S.S. Annapolis was the first submarine involved with the APS. The crew served as ambassadors for the Navy while visiting Rota, Spain; Toulon and Brest, France; Praia, Cape Verde; and Ghana. The Cape Verde visit was the first visit to Africa outside the Mediterranean by a U.S. submarine. I do wonder if we drove it up any African rivers?

I once got to tour the submarine, so am interested in its whereabouts and hope it can call here again. The crew members also like to help with community projects when they are in town.

The Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden is working on the James B. Coulter Memorial, a brass sculpture of four ducks taking flight, named in honor of the former Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR engineering and construction division is coordinating the project, which will start construction very shortly. You can read about the Tawes Garden in our April What's Up? Annapolis issue.

Because of Navy's schedule, the 26th annual croquet match between St. John's College and the Naval Academy has been moved to April 20, a Sunday, with the fun beginning at 1 p.m. on the college's front campus. The trophy, the Annapolis Cup, is on display at 49 West restaurant. You can be part of the lawn party, where stylishly dressed students and alumni from both institutions as well as tourists and us'ns can enjoy lavish picnics. Pack some cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and maybe even champagne. It's a great way to celebrate spring!

Last year the St. Johnnies wore a uniform inspired by "Born in the U.S.A.," with players dressed as Bruce Springsteen. The Midshipmen abide by U.S. Croquet Association's code, with spotless white shirts, pants, sweaters and shoes. They change only their ties from year to year, says Patricia Dempsey, a college spokeswoman.

The St. Johnnies and the Midshipmen will share a tradition this May-both will promenade to Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1," the most familiar of commencement pieces and commonly known as "the graduation song." You all know it. You probably marched to it at your high school or college graduation. At the premiere performance in Liverpool in October 1901, the audience demanded two encores. The march was first played at a graduation on June 28, 1905, at Yale University where Elgar received an honorable doctorate of music. The tune soon became the march for American graduations.

But other than the awarding of diplomas, the music may be the only activity the two schools will have in common.

summer garden theatre

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

More news on the arts scene - the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre is undertaking a "comprehensive restoration, renovation and rejuvenation program," called Stage/2. The goal is to complete the project within 36 months, without interrupting the summer season, according to Marquee, the ASGT newsletter. Michael Dowling, who worked on a project at our house, is the architect. He's delivered the master plan drawings and a scale model of the building, theatre and grounds.�

This is a historic restoration, designed to secure the future of this piece of historic Annapolis. You can see the plans and the model at a preview "coming-out" party from 5 to 7 p.m. April 13 at HistoryQuest at 99 Main St., right around the corner from the theatre. Annapolis' official Town Crier Fred Taylor is kicking off the event celebrating ASGT's 2008 season. You can talk with Michael and enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres. It's free for members and donors, 2007-2008 season ticket holders and special guests. If you don't fit one of those categories, consider becoming one. Visit www.summergarden.com for information.